As King Charles and Queen Camilla commenced their Royal tour of Australia, they dove straight into engaging with their Aussie subjects, attending a church service and even popping by a regional parliament on a busy first day. There, the King delivered a humorous remark that had everyone chuckling.
Despite cutting his tour short due to ongoing cancer treatment, His Majesty is embarking on a six-day visit to Australia, with his first trip being all the way back in the 1950s. But, even though his visit comes amidst heated debates about republicanism and monarchy’s place in modern Australia, protests did little to dampen the King’s spirits.
At one point, he even quipped to a hall of politicians, and made all of them crack up. Well-known for his unwavering commitment to environmental causes, King Charles used his public platform to make a lighthearted jest that struck a chord. With the press and politicians around him, he remarked, “In the spirit of marking the passage of time, it is my great pleasure to present a small gift to the parliament.”
Referring to the sometimes lengthy nature of political speeches, as well as his own, he said, “It is, in fact, an hourglass-a speech timer,” causing a ripple of laughter in the room. He then touched on the deep respect he has for Australia’s political bodies and made a light-hearted allusion to his recent health scare.
King Charles continued: “To sit in the chamber and bear witness to the legislative council’s next chapter. So, with the sands of time encouraging brevity…” which prompted a mix of laughter and nervousness among the listeners, as he reflected on his 60 years of visits to Australia and his own recent health concerns.
Ending his speech, King Charles expressed his delight at visiting Australia for the first time as monarch, stating: “It just remains for me to say 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.
“So thank you, thank you, for making me feel so welcome.” He then asked the President of the Legislative Council, Ben Franklin, if he could give the hourglass a spin for good luck.
