King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal visit to Australia begins today and ends on October 23, with inital stops in Sydney and Canberra, in the first test of his reign Down Under.

It will be the couple’s first trip back to the country since 2018, which was the same year that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle undertook a high-profile tour of Australia just months after their wedding.

The Sussexes spent 16 days touring the countries of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, where it was also announced that Meghan was expecting their first child, Prince Archie.

The couple attracted huge crowds during the tour and attended a remarkable 76 engagements.

However, Valentine Low, former Royal correspondent for The Times, claims in his book, Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, that although Meghan “enjoyed the attention” she received, she didn’t understand the purpose of a Royal walkout.

He writes: “On the South Pacific tour, Harry and Meghan were going down a storm. Massive crowds were turning out to see them, and Meghan’s refreshingly informal approach to royal visits was proving a hit with the Australian public.”

“Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story. Although she enjoyed the attention, Meghan failed to understand the point of all those walkouts, shaking hands with countless strangers.”

The book also includes an insider’s account of a claimed moment of Meghan delivering a brutal eight-word verdict on royal fans, telling her team: “What are they all doing here? It’s silly”, as fans waited outside the Sydney Opera House.

King Charles and Camilla, who have arrived in Australia, will receive a grand welcome involving the Sydney Opera House being lit up.