Iconic landmark to light up for royal visit amid political row
King Charles has received exciting news ahead of his upcoming visit to Australia with Queen Camilla. As the couple prepares for their first major overseas tour since the King's cancer diagnosis, it has been confirmed that the iconic Sydney Opera House will light up to honour their arrival.
The Opera House sails will feature a four-minute looping montage of images from previous royal visits, celebrating the couple's arrival despite a political row over senior politicians declining to greet the royals in Canberra. All six State Premiers have controversially opted out of attending the royal reception in the capital.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, a known republican, affirmed that the Opera House tribute will ensure the King is warmly welcomed in Sydney. He emphasised that the focus should remain on the events taking place in the state capital.
This comes after the Sydney Opera House was notably absent from lighting up during the King's coronation, a decision explained as a "cost-saving measure." However, several other landmarks, including Canberra's Parliament House, were illuminated in royal purple to mark the coronation.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will conclude their Australian tour on October 23, before departing for Samoa. This visit marks the first trip to Australia by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 2011.
