ANKARA

King Charles and Queen Camilla on Friday arrived in Sydney on their first visit to Australia since ascending the throne, local media said.

Set to spend five days Down Under, the British royals were greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Sydney Airport, Sky News reported.

Then-Prince Charles last visited Australia in 2018 for the opening of the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

The visit marks the first royal tour of Australia by a reigning monarch since the late Queen Elizabeth II, who visited Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth in 2011, and the first from a new monarch since 1954, according to the broadcaster.

"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!" King Charles and Camilla said in statement posted on the Royal Family’s X account.

The king and queen will also visit the capital Canberra before departing for a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa on Wednesday.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid