Could Prince William and Kate Middleton soon be heading Down Under?
Speculation about a royal tour began over the weekend when King Charles welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Balmoral Castle. The private audience, held in the castle’s library, reportedly focused on Australia’s ties to the monarchy and global environmental challenges.
Albanese later shared a photograph of the meeting on social media, calling it “an honour to meet with you today, Your Majesty.” He and his partner, Jodie Haydon, also presented the King with a framed photograph taken during his and Queen Camilla’s visit to Australia in autumn 2024 — and extended what seemed to be an invitation for the younger royals.
“There’s a standing invitation that the royal family are always welcome in Australia,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “It was wonderful to welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla recently, who had a very successful visit, and His Majesty is very engaged. And I hope that the Prince and Princess of Wales are able to visit as well, and we are hopeful that might occur in the coming period.”
The Wales Family’s Last Visit
The Prince and Princess of Wales last toured Australia more than a decade ago, in 2014, when Prince George was just a baby. Their three-week itinerary included Sydney, Canberra, and Uluru. A subsequent tour planned for 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Since then, William and Kate have welcomed Princess Charlotte, now 10, and Prince Louis, seven. Earlier this year, Kate remarked that she would love to take all three children abroad together, adding: “George finds it fascinating that he has been to Australia and New Zealand. I would like to go back there with them now… it’s finding time to do that.”
Will George, Charlotte and Louis Join?
If a trip goes ahead, royal watchers wonder whether the couple’s children will be included. Charlotte first accompanied her parents on an overseas trip to Canada in 2016 at just 16 months old, while Louis has yet to join one. Even their cousin Archie, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, travelled to South Africa in 2019 as an infant.
Royal expert Arthur Edwards told The Sun the visit would be a “sure fire hit” if the children are in tow. “William and Catherine are probably the most popular royal couple in the world right now and will be treated like superstars,” he said. “William is now the Prince of Wales and he should be representing the King on these major tours.”
At present, Kensington Palace has not confirmed any travel plans, but with a “standing invitation” in place and growing anticipation, an Australian royal tour could be the Wales family’s next big milestone.