Charles and Camilla ‘snub’ by Australian leaders ahead of tour sparks backlash – live

Anti-royalist activists are selling “farewell tour” merchandise ahead of King Charles’ visit to Australia this week.

Charles and Camilla are set to kick off the first royal visit to the country in over a decade on Friday – but their anticipated arrival has sparked debate about the monarchy’s role in modern Australia.

The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has branded the visit as the royal’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.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla are facing a humiliating snub by leading Australian politicians, as they gear up to begin their tour of the country this week.

As the couple prepare to kick off their nine day visit down under on Friday, every single state premier has turned down invitations to attend their royal reception 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, whilst other politicians have given excuses such as “schedule clashes” and “election campaign duties”.

The King is to pause his cancer treatment during his high-profile tour to Australia next week.

Royal doctors gave Charles, 75, permission to briefly halt the weekly cycle in order to fly around the world for his key visit Down Under, followed by a state visit to Samoa in the South Pacific.

Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia on 18 October, with stops in Sydney and Canberra during their six-day visit.

Melania Trump has revealed she is pen pals with King Charles after the pair bonded over their passion for environmental conservation.

The unexpected friendship between the monarch and the former fashion model, who is married to Donald Trump, was revealed last week in her memoir, Melania.

The former First Lady, 54, explained that after their first meeting in New York in 2005, the pair reconnected in 2019 during a state visit to the UK, by which point Trump was in the White House.

The Princess of Wales has ramped up her return to public duties by making a surprise joint appearance with Prince William to meet the bereaved families of the Southport attacks.

Marking their first joint engagement since Kate’s cancer treatment, the couple privately met the families in Merseyside last week.

The Princess, 42, is said to have attended because she wanted to show her “support, empathy and compassion to the local community”.

“Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy,” the couple later said in a joint statement.

The Duchess of York called the Princess “brave and courageous” as she made her first public appearance on Thursday (10 October), after finishing her chemotherapy treatment.

Kate joined the Prince of Wales to meet with families of victims of the Southport Taylor Swift dance class tragedy.

The Duchess told Channel 5 News on Friday: “It’s such a brave and courageous move and it is so wonderful to see.

“It will inspire and help those poor families. That’s what we should be looking at, courage and courage and courage.”

Campaigners have called for “full disclosure” of gifts received by the royal family after it emerged King Charles has failed to publish an annual list for four years.

Recent delays in sharing details of presents received by royals have been attributed to a challenging few years for the family, including the pandemic, the change of reign and high-profile state occasions such as the coronation, The Independent understands.

The King said he was “greatly saddened” by the sudden death of Scotland’s first SNP first minister Alex Salmond, aged 69.

The monarch led tributes after news of the politician’s death broke on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.

King Charles said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: “My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.

“His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.

“We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time.”

Mr Salmond served as first minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014 and was leader of the SNP on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014.

The Alba party said it understood he had suffered a heart attack, although there will be a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death.

One of Queen Elizabeth’s most trusted aides has revealed the late monarch was a “gutsy” driver who loved speed behind the wheel.

In her first interview about her 18 years as one of the royal’s most trusted confidantes, former communications secretary Samantha Cohen recalled spending summers with the Queen at her Scottish estate Balmoral.

She told The Sunday Times: “She loved hosting everybody for summer, allocating the rooms and checking them herself.”

The aide said her children, who would stay with her in a lodge near the castle for the summer, would often look up at breakfast and see the Queen riding by on her horse.

She also revealed the monarch had a taste for speed behind the wheel as she drove around the remote Scottish estate.

“She was gutsy,” Ms Cohen said. “She would drive her cars fast around Balmoral.”

Unlike MPs, members of the royal family are not required to declare gifts, donations and hospitality on a public register of interests.

Nevertheless, they began publishing an annual list of official gifts received by the royal household following scrutiny of jewellery given to Queen Camilla by a Saudi royal in 2007.

However, it has emerged King Charles and his family have not shared such a list since 2019.

It included a 24 carat gold-plated horse comb from President Borut Pahor of the Republic of Slovenia and three gifts the late Queen Elizabeth II received from Donald Trump during his presidential visit.

Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, has insisted: “It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favour with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government.”

Under rules reviewed in 2003, gifts received during official duties such as state banquets or royal tours are classed as an official gifts. Those given by someone a royal knows in a personal capacity are considered private.