King Charles and Queen Camilla Just Touched Down for a Major International Tour—and I Can't Believe How They Were Greeted

King Charles has officially made history . He and Queen Camilla have just touched down in Sydney, Australia, for his first visit to the nation since becoming monarch. The king, 75, and his wife, 77, are kicking off a royal tour that includes several days in Australia and Samoa.

This is a big deal for a number of reasons, not least of which is that Charles’s last international trip was to France for D-Day commemorations all the way back in June.

And while royal watchers like myself will undoubtedly be following this trip closely, I'm already applauding the citizens of Sydney for giving the king a truly royal greeting.

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Today (or "tonight" in Australia), King Charles stepped off the plane at Sydney International Airport with Queen Camilla staying dry under one of the signature royal umbrellas . And as cameras snapped and heads of state (including the Australian Prime Minister ) shook hands, there was an even grander greeting taking place.

Projected upon the world famous Sydney Opera House were giant photographs of the king and queen from previous visits to Australia. Talk about rolling out the red carpet.

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These images were quite the sight to behold, reflected into Sydney Harbour, as Sydney residents gathered to take pictures of the opera house.

On social media, the official Buckingham Palace Instagram account announced the arrival of the monarch , writing, "Thank you for the special welcome, Australia! The King and Queen have touched down in Sydney to begin their visit to Australia. The visit marks His Majesty’s first visit to a Realm as Sovereign."

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Just hours before their arrival (and likely while they were mid-flight), King Charles and Queen Camilla shared a personal message on social media, calling out their excitement for the royal tour.

Their message read, "Ahead of our first visit to Australia as King and Queen, we are really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special. See you there!"

How do we know it was a "personal" message? They signed it, "Charles R & Camilla R." FYI, the letter “R” stands for “Rex,” which is the Latin translation for “king.” His Majesty has used the signature in quite a few of his letters, including his message to England's soccer team in July, and even Queen Camilla has included the letter "R" to her unique signature . However, in her case, “R” stands for “Regina,” which means “queen” in Latin.

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According to the official press release from Buckingham Palace, the king and queen's trip is scheduled to last until October 26. They will visit Australia primarily, but the tour also includes a State Visit to Samoa where Charles will participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)—his first time doing so as monarch.

Their schedule largely includes events in both Sydney and Canberra with a program that’s focused on sustainability and protecting the environment from climate change—a cause that’s long been front and center for Charles.

Originally, Charles was set to visit New Zealand, too, but due to the strenuous nature of the trip and the distance from home, it was advised that he pace himself, which meant that leg of the royal tour had to be cut.

As I said, I'll be following all the royal tour outings and developments closely.

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