King Charles Heads to Australia and Commonwealth Meeting
TimeOct 17
King Charles III Visits Australia
Above: King Charles III is greeted by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon (L) as he arrives at Sydney Airport on Oct. 18, 2024, in Sydney, Australia. Image copyright: Victoria Jones/Pool/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
The Facts
UK monarch King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla arrived in Sydney, Australia, Friday evening (local time) to begin a royal tour.
This is the royal couple's first trip to Australia since 2018 and Charles' first trip as King. His mother and predecessor, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was the first British monarch to make the trip to Australia.
The Spin
Narrative A
While the King's visit will undoubtedly reignite the republic debate, there is still much to celebrate about this tour and its history. Charles, as his mother did before him, is setting out to meet thousands of loyal fans and engage in serious political discussions. Whether Australia becomes a Republic or not, there's still plenty of joy surrounding the historic event.
Narrative B
Australia has tens of thousands of years of independent history that has been overshadowed by British colonial rule. Instead of allowing Charles, his son, and his grandson to rule over the country for the next hundred years, the Australian people should remove them from power and elect their own head of state.