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King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to be honoured by the sails of the Sydney Opera House at the beginning of their royal visit this week - despite a number of Australian politicians snubbing invitations from them.
Sydney Harbour’s iconic structure will be lit up for four minutes with images from previous royal visits to mark the arrival of the royal couple at 8pm on Friday.
However, the leader of the New South Wales government, which gave the rare honour the green light, is one of six Australian state premiers who have snubbed an invitation to attend Charles’ royal reception in in Canberra on October 21
Charles is set to deliver a speech at the event to recognise Australians for their achievements in the arts, culture, sports and health. Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan is the latest representative to snub the invitation, while other politicians have given excuses such as “schedule clashes” and “election campaign duties”.
At an estimated cost of around £50,000, a previous proposal to celebrate the King’s coronation by lighting up the opera house in 2022 was dropped by NSW Premier Chris Minns, who said it would be too much of a burden on the Australian taxpayer.
Despite abandoning the previous plans, Mr Minns has said the city of Sydney wants to make sure the King is “warmly welcomed”.
He told the Australian Daily Telegraph: “I’ve made the point previously in relation to the Opera House, when it comes to events that are taking place in Sydney that will be our primary objective.
“The King is coming to Sydney and we obviously want to make sure he is warmly welcomed and that is what we’re going to do.”
The honour comes as Charles and Camilla’s trip to the country has reignited debates about the monarchy’s role in a modern Australia.
The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has branded the visit as the couple’s “farewell tour”, as they campaign to separate the Commonwealth country from the monarchy.
Retro style satirical posters, T-shirts and beer coasters have been created with Charles, Camilla and Prince William on them, encouraging Australians to “wave goodbye to royal reign”.
A T-shirt, featuring the royal trio in aviator sunglasses, is retailing for 34 AUD on the campaign group’s website, finished with the description: “Alright legends the stage is set... Let’s wave goodbye to royal reign! Grab this killer t-shirt to support the campaign and help take the republic movement to the main stage.”
The nine-day trip will be Charles’ most significant overseas visit since his cancer diagnosis. It has been reported that he will bring two doctors with him but will temporarily “pause” his treatment whilst away.
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