Royal retreat: After charming the country from Canberra to Kirrabilli, King and Queen set for next stop
King Charles and Queen Camilla are ready to leave Australia after a whirlwind two-city visit, as the fallout from an attack on the monarchy by an Indigenous senator eases.
The couple left Admiralty House at Kirribilli, the official Sydney residence of Governor-General Sam Mostyn, on Wednesday morning.
The royals had been staying at the harbourside property since arriving on Friday night, ahead of a round of events in Sydney and Canberra.
They are expected to board a RAAF flight bound for Samoa, which is hosting the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The King and Queen waved farewell to thousands of well-wishers around the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday afternoon.
Thousands of people queued for almost a kilometre to get a glimpse of the royals during the biggest public event of their trip.
King Charles shook many hands, including a group who sang “God Save The King”, while Queen Camilla crouched down to greet children, some of whom said they would “never forget” the experience.
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The pair signed the guest book at the Sydney Opera House before hitting the harbour to review five navy ships as defence force helicopters flew overhead
Earlier in the day, the King briefly manned the tongs at a community barbecue at Parramatta in western Sydney, where he was presented a framed surf livesavers’ cap.
But chants of “You’re on stolen land” and “No pride in genocide” from bystanders greeted King Charles when he met with elders at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern ahead of the BBQ.
The protest by a small group of people outside the centre came after Senator Lidia Thorpe told the King at a reception in Canberra on Monday “You are not our king”.
The outburst, which sparked international headlines, prompted coalition calls for the Victorian senator to resign.
But on Wednesday, a federal government minister said it was time to move on.
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“I think what she did was totally inappropriate,” Housing Minister Clare O’Neil told Seven’s Sunrise program on Wednesday.
“My suggestion now is we move on.
“No one can make her resign.”
Federal Nationals MP Matt Canavan doubled down, saying he believed “most” Australians wanted her to resign.
“That’s the feedback I get talking to people … they’re aghast that someone in their nation’s parliament would act like this and effectively embarrass the whole nation,” he told Nine’s Today program.
The King received a warmer welcome from the Indigenous elders at the centre in Redfern, following a smoking ceremony in the courtyard.
The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, brings together 56 countries under the Head of the Commonwealth, which is now King Charles III following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
The gathering is expected to discuss climate change, the impact of colonialism and reparations.
The Minderoo Foundation – started by the Forrest family in Western Australia – will use the meeting to champion its campaign against plastic chemicals and their impact on human health.
Meeting participants will be confronted at the airport by an advertisement showing a child vomiting plastic.
“Our children deserve to have a future where their bodies are not involuntarily riddled with dangerous chemicals stemming from plastic,” Minderoo Foundation director Jay Weatherill said.
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