King Charles and Queen Camilla depart Australia for Samoa after record-breaking 17th visit

After a whirlwind tour of Australia, King Charles III and Queen Camilla have bid farewell to Australia.

The royal couple arrived at Sydney Kingsford Smith airport around 11.15am on Wednesday, where they boarded a Royal Australian Air Force Flight headed to Samoa after five action-packed days in the country.

They were greeted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn and her husband Simeon Beckett, NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and NSW Governor Margaret Beazley.

A small group of supporters also farewelled the pair before they headed to the Royal Australian Air Force plane where they walked up the steps, waving a final farewell to their Australian visit.

King Charles sported a grey suit while Camilla wore a printed Fiona Clare dress.

They will travel to Samoa after spending a short five days in Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was an honour to welcome the King and Queen to Australia for the historic visit — the first by a sovereign since Queen Elizabeth in 2011.

“Their Majesties met a range of extraordinary Australians who demonstrated the best of our great country,” Mr Albanese said.

“I look forward to meeting The King again in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.”

The royal tour was Charles’ 17th trip to Australia, now a record for the most visits from a royal, first visiting in 1966 when he attended Timbertop, a remote adventure campus part of the private school Geelong Grammar.

The King and Queen completed 27 engagements whilst in Australia, making every moment count, at times Charles and Camilla splitting up so they could meet as many people as possible.

Their first public event was a quaint church service at St Thomas’ Anglican church in North Sydney.

The royals then flew the the ACT where they visited the Australian War Memorial, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens before attending a special reception at the Great Hall of Parliament.

The event was marred by Senator Lidia Thorpe who interrupted the end of the King’s speech, shouting “you are not my king”.

From there, the royals embarked on their busiest day yet, spending Tuesday whizzing around Sydney.

The Queen attended a library, meeting children to discuss literacy, and attended a lunch at Oz Harvest to highlight the wonderful work done to feed those in need.

The King attended the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern. A smoking ceremony was performed before Charles was served a kangaroo pie.

The couple reunited, driving out to western Sydney, appearing as special guests at an invite-only royal community BBQ hosted by NSW Premier Chris Minns and his wife Anna Minns.

Although a wonderful afternoon with around 650 guests, Australia had saved the best for last, a historic meet-the-public event right on Sydney Harbour.

An estimated 10,000 people lined the streets and packed into the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday for a royal to return to one of Australia’s most famous landmarks.

A sniper sat atop one of the iconic building’s sails, as Navy choppers circled, flying a giant Australian flag.

A police helicopter drew closer as cheers grew louder. The King and Queen had arrived to meet the adoring public.

Charles and Camilla waved at the thousands as they slowly approached, driving past the public as they made their way to the Sydney Opera House’s entrance.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and his wife Anna Minns greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla as they exited the vehicle, graciously welcoming them to the building visited on many royal visits.

The four walked up the world-famous steps as crowds cheered from the nearby Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. The King turned and waved, delighting those who hadn’t gotten onto the forecourt.

As they reached the top of the steps, the royals were introduced to six waiting special guests.

British actor Dame Joanna Lumley, actor Heather Mitchell, acrobat and dancer Lucia Richardson, singer Jin Tea Kim, artistic director of Bangara Dance Theatre Francis Rings and Sydney Symphony orchestra principal bass clarinet player Alexander Morris greeted the royal couple at the top of the stairs.

“Your Majesty,” Lumley said greeting the royals first. The greeting felt like a reunion of friends with Queen Camilla stopping to chat for some time.

The royal couple were taken to the official guest book, signing their names in black pen on an open page. The couple were shown pages signed by other esteemed guests before continuing on.

The King, Queen, Premier and Mrs Minns walked to the western edge of the top of the Sydney Opera House, where they posed for a photo with the Harbour and Sydney Harbour Bridge behind them.

Charles and Camilla mingled with the public, shaking hundreds of hands and accepting gifts from the cheering crowd.

For their last engagement on the harbour, the King and Queen boarded a vessel to complete an inspection of the Navy fleet.

Australia may now have different feelings about the royals since the late Queen last visited in 2011. However, the reception given on this royal tour suggests there is still a lot of love shared.