Quick peasants, grab a rake and start doing something, because the New South Wales parliament has just confirmed that His Majesty Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth is on his way!
State governor Margaret Beazley has announced the programme of events to celebrate the NSW Legislative Council’s 200th anniversary, which will include a “much anticipated” royal visit.
This is set to be the first official visit of the new King to Australia, although details of who exactly will be joining him on this royal tour have yet to be revealed.
We’ve got a fair while to practice our ‘looking busy’ actions though, as the visit is not scheduled to happen until October 2024.
It’s set as part of the commemorations of the NSW Legislative Council, Australia’s oldest judicial body and the blueprint for all other state and federal bodies in this country.
The events also include Indigenous talks and public events, historical exhibitions, and tours of parliament. The first of these gets underway this month with an exhibition on Macquarie Street called ‘Unlocking the House’, a visual display of the history of NSW’s Upper House.
Beazley said that the events would celebrate centuries of democracy in Australia.
“The establishment, in 1823, of the Legislative Council as the first legislative body in Australia was to have defining and profound impacts,” Beazley said.
“In celebrating the Bicentenary of the Legislative Council, we celebrate its role in our parliamentary democracy, as required by s5 of the NSW Constitution: ‘to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales’.”
The last time we had a monarch visit was back in 2011 when Queen Elizabeth II toured Australia for what would turn out to be her last time.
Charles last graced us with his presence in 2018 on a royal tour to open the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
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