A royal welcome! Sweet images of King Charles and Queen Camilla are projected onto Sydney Opera House as historic Australia tour gets underway By Rebecca English In Sydney and Mark Duell In London Published: 12:31, 18 October 2024 | Updated: 12:33, 18 October 2024 e-mail View comments King Charles and Queen Camilla were welcomed to Australia today as the sails of the Sydney Opera House were lit up with a loop of images from previous royal visits. The illumination had been due to begin at 8pm local time (10am UK time), 30 minutes before the couple were due to land at Sydney Airport - but ran into trouble. It was delayed by a Cunard cruise ship called the Queen Elizabeth which blocked the projector after failing to sail out on time because of bad weather, reported ITV .
The lighting up of the landmark was organised despite the New South Wales (NSW) government having axed a similar proposal for the Coronation due to cost. It comes almost 18 months after NSW Premier Chris Minns dumped plans set by the former coalition state government to light up the venue in May 2023. This time, the government allowed the projection, saying it 'consists of a four-minute photo montage from Their Majesties' previous visits to the state and the nation'.
A statement on Wednesday added that the 'images reflect the diverse ways in which Their Majesties have engaged with and celebrated NSW and Australia over the years'. Royal fans will also get the chance to see Charles and Camilla at the Sydney Opera .