Warm welcome for King and Queen as royal couple attend church service

Large crowds have today caught their first glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they attended a Sydney church service.

There was a high level of security when the royal couple arrived at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney for the first official duty of their short royal tour of Australia.

Earlier protesters gathered near the church, but they were outnumbered by large crowds waving Australian flags and cheering the King and Queen.

King Charles, wearing a pale suit, and Queen Camilla, resplendent in a straw hat, were greeted by children from the local Sunday school.

Their arrival followed an extensive security operation by police.

Police riot squad officers have been checking underneath parked vehicles in streets while the dog squad has been sweeping the area.

The royal couple spent yesterday resting after arriving in Sydney on Friday night.

Later today they will attend the New South Wales Legislative Council bicentenary event at the state’s Parliament House in Sydney.

The King will then receive the Governor-General Sam Mostyn and New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley at Admiralty House.

The King and Queen will stay in Australia until Wednesday.

The short but packed schedule includes stops in Canberra and Sydney.

The trip marks King Charles’ first big overseas trip since his cancer diagnosis in February.

Yesterday the Australian Defence Force appointed the King with a number of honorary ranks.

The ADF announced that King Charles would carry the titles of Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal Australian Navy, Field Marshal of the Australian Army, and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.

The last reigning monarch to visit Australia was Queen Elizabeth II in 2011.