<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>330747</docID> <postdate>2024-10-11 17:01:10</postdate> <headline>Public to rub shoulders with the royals</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-330748" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20180404001340881147-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>Fans can see King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Sydney Opera House and Australian War Memorial. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Neve Brissenden</strong> in Sydney</span></p> <p><strong>Members of the public will get multiple chances to glimpse Australia's new monarch during the King and Queen's first tour since taking the throne.</strong></p> <p>King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit iconic Sydney and Canberra landmarks while also making time for smaller community events when they land on Australian soil.</p> <p>Their six-day trip begins in the Harbour City on Friday, October 18 before the monarchs head to Canberra and visit the Australian War Memorial on Monday.</p> <p>There they will lay a wreath and meet members of the public at midday before moving to Parliament House, according to their public itinerary.</p> <p>The royals will then be greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at a ceremonial welcome, before meeting fans in the forecourt at 2pm.</p> <p>Sydneysiders will be able to see the pair at the Opera House forecourt and the Man O'War Steps at 4pm on Tuesday.</p> <p>The King and Queen will also attend a community barbecue in Parramatta, where Premier Chris Minns will host a "regional showcase" supported by the NSW Agricultural Society.</p> <p>The western Sydney event is an opportunity to promote the state's rich culinary and cultural diversity, while the monarchs would meet many outstanding citizens, Mr Minns said.</p> <p>The pair will also meet 2024 Australians of the Year Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer, commended for their research into skin cancers.</p> <p>As part of the trip, the Queen will visit a Sydney library and meet students participating in writing workshops, authors and children taking part in the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition.</p> <p>In Canberra, the royals will also visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens to meet staff and volunteers, and take part in a tree planting.</p> <p>King Charles will also visit the CSIRO in a focus on the agency's efforts to tackle bushfires, while Queen Camilla will meet with representatives at domestic violence charity GIVIT.</p> <p>The pair will leave the country on October 23 to visit Samoa.</p> <p>It will be the first trip to Australia by a reigning monarch since 2011, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth.</p> <p>King Charles has travelled to Australia 15 times before taking the throne.</p> </body>