King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Sydney in pouring rain as royal visit to Australia officially begins

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have arrived in Sydney, officially beginning their historic royal visit to Australia amid heavy downpours that had threatened to delay their Royal Australian Airforce plane from touching down.

Engagements won't begin until Sunday, allowing the monarch and his wife a day of rest following their long flight from the UK.

The King, 75, and Queen, 77, landed at Sydney International Airport, in Mascot, just after 8.30pm AEDT where they were met by a host of dignitaries including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, NSW Premier Chris Minns.

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Queen Camilla, dressed in blue, wore the Australian wattle brooch that was originally gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II during her first visit to Australia in 1954.

It consists of white and yellow diamonds in the form of a sprig of golden wattle and a spray of Australian tea tree blossom.

The Prime minister and Premier, staunch republicans, dipped their heads before heartedly shaking the sovereign's hand.

Albanese's fiancée Jodie Haydon, meanwhile, appeared to share a laugh with His Majesty.

But all eyes were on young Ky as the beaming 12-year-old greeted the royals and presented a small bunch of flowers to Queen Camilla.

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The moment, fulfilling a request to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, was followed by the pair sharing an extended conversation before the monarchs were whisked away in a motorcade.

After leaving the airport, the King and Queen were driven to Admiralty House where they were hosted by the Prime Minister and his partner.

Hours before they touched down, the King and Queen shared a rare and personal message via their social media accounts, signing it from "Charles R & Camilla R".

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In photos: King Charles and Queen Camilla's Australia tour

"Ahead of our first visit to Australia as King and Queen, we are really looking forward to returning to this beautiful country to celebrate the extraordinarily rich cultures and communities that make it so special," they said.

"See you there!"

To celebrate the King and Queen's arrival, the sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated with images from Charles and Camilla's previous visits to Australia over the years.

But the scheduled projection time of 8pm had to be pushed back, due to the delayed departure of the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner that was docked at Circular Quay.

Charles will be visiting Australia for the 17th time, but it is his first tour as monarch which, in itself, is a history-making endeavour.

It is also the first time a British King has been here. Queen Camilla has been here, as Duchess of Cornwall, three times: in 2012, 2015 and in 2018.

Official engagements begin in Sydney on Sunday with a church service and on Monday the King and Queen travel to Canberra where they will meet members of the public for the first time at the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House.

While in Canberra the King and Queen will separate for various meetings, with Camilla due to meet the Australian charity she is patron of, GIVIT.

Tuesday will see the King and Queen return to Sydney where they will attend events separately in the morning before coming together for a community barbeque in Western Sydney.

They'll then meet crowds along the forecourt of Sydney Opera House and conduct a review of the Royal Australian Navy on Sydney Harbour.

READ MORE: All the times Charles has visited Australia through the years

The King and Queen depart for Samoa on Wednesday morning where the King will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time as head of the Commonwealth.

The Australian leg will mark the first time since Charles ascended the throne that he will visit one of the so-called Commonwealth realms, the 14 countries outside of the United Kingdom where the monarch remains head of state.

The itinerary has been scaled back on medical advice, amid his on-going cancer treatment, allowing the King to rest after the long flying time, and to adjust to the climate.

The King will travel with two doctors who will carry a supply of the monarch's blood, to ensure an exact match if a transfusion was needed. Similar arrangements were in place when the late Queen used to travel abroad.

The last time members of the British royal family came to Australia was in October 2018, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex toured in a visit that coincided with the Invictus Games.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were last in Australia, as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, in April 2018 for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

While the last reigning monarch to visit our shores was Queen Elizabeth in 2011.

- With pool reporters