King Charles Describes ‘Great Joy’ of Australia Visit with Queen Camilla as They Greet Locals at Sydney Church

King Charles and Queen Camilla have officially stepped out in Sydney for the first scheduled public engagement of their royal tour of Australia and Samoa — a visit that the King described as a “great joy” after greeting hundreds of onlookers at a local church.

After arriving in Sydney on the night of Friday, Oct. 18, and spending Saturday, Oct. 19 as a rest day at the Admiralty House, the royal couple kicked off their official engagements in the city on Sunday, Oct. 20. They visited St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney, attended a traditional Anglican church service and were welcomed by members of the congregation, among others — including some old friends.

Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, first arrived at the church at 10:30 a.m. local time. Among those who welcomed them inside and outside of the church were the Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel, King Charles’ former polo teacher Sinclair Hill and local children, per The Telegraph.

In the church, per the outlet, the King and Queen signed two Bibles as Camilla wore a green Anna Valentine dress with a straw hat and the King opted for a gray suit. When they departed, they shook hands with onlookers and spent some time visiting with locals for the first time during their Australia visit. Charles then spotted and greeted his former polo teacher Hill and his wife, Wendy Hill.

At one point, the Rector’s wife, Ellie Mantle, presented King Charles with a rugby ball, cricket ball and stuffed koala for his grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

“It’s a great honour for us as it’s the first opportunity for the public to see the King and Queen,” she said, per The Telegraph.

From there, after the service officiated by Archbishop Raffel, King Charles shared remarks and visited New South Wales Parliament House at 11:50 a.m. During his parliament visit, which happened as it marked the 200th anniversary of The Legislative Council of New South Wales, per The Telegraph, the King gifted an hourglass to Ben Franklin, president of the Legislative Council, dubbing it a “speech timer.”

“What a great joy it is to come to Australia for the first time as sovereign and to renew a love of this country and its people which I have cherished for so long,” King Charles said while speaking in parliament, during what marked his 17th time in Australia — but first in Sydney as monarch.

Charles and Camilla touched down in Sydney at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 18. Because of the King’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year, the couple are undertaking a lighter schedule of engagements than normal on a royal tour, and while in Australia and later Samoa, the King is expected to “pause” cancer treatments while abroad and travel with two doctors on the trip.

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the King and Queen will visit the Sydney Opera House and will be seen on the Man O’War Steps, the historic jetty near the Opera House, as they review the Royal Australian Navy fleet and defense force flyover.

While their public engagements are more limited than normal, the King is undertaking private engagements, as well.

He toured the National Botanic Gardens on Black Mountain in Canberra, had a meeting with scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization to discuss how to best combat wildfires and met with leading Australian cancer doctors who specialize in treating melanoma.

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For her part, the Queen Consort is due to take part in a panel on domestic violence before celebrating GIVIT’s role in organizing donations for those who are most vulnerable (she is a patron of the organization). Also as a part of the visit, Queen Camilla, a child literacy advocate, will meet children taking part in a Commonwealth reading challenge.

The couple will round out their time in Sydney at a community barbecue celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity and will meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to learn more about communities that live in Australia before departing for Samoa on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

In Samoa, Charles will participate in CHOGHM, as he is the head of the Commonwealth association of 56 nations.

The summit is held every two years, and while in Samoa, the King and Queen Camilla will arrive in the evening and attend a state dinner. The palace said that the couple’s engagements in both nations “will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of the King and Queen’s work.”