Analysis: When Prince William and Kate could visit Australia after PM's invite

ANALYSIS -- Royal watchers are keeping close eyes on Kensington Palace amid speculation the Princes and Princess of Wales will be visiting Australia with their three children in the coming months.

It's been 11 years since Prince William and Catherine toured Australia and 2026 is shaping up as the ideal time for their next royal visit.

Now that King Charles has toured Australia for the first time as monarch, he's opened the door for his family to follow in his footsteps.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also extended an invitation to the Wales family, which is a key first step in any foreign royal tour.

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up the topic with King Charles during a private audience with the monarch at Balmoral Castle on Saturday.

When asked by the media if Prince William and Kate would be the next British royals Down Under, Mr Albanese said: "I'm certainly hoping there will be [a royal visit], there's a standing invitation that the royal family are always welcome in Australia".

READ MORE: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban split after 19 years

READ MORE: New push for princess to lose her royal title

READ MORE: 'Meghan needs Harry for the royal connection or no-one cares'

"It was wonderful to welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla to Australia recently, that 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".

Now that Charles and Camilla have visited Australia for the first time as King and Queen, heralding a new chapter for the British royals, Prince William and Kate could well be the next in the family to travel here, depending on the princess' continued recovery.

Kate announced she was in remission from cancer in January following a course of preventative chemotherapy which ended in September last year.

The princess is slowly returning to a near-full diary of engagements as she tries to find the right balance between work and rest.

This year has been a particularly busy one for the 43-year-old and she has maintained a public presence at a number of high-profile royal events including the state visits by the US and French presidents, Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon.

Kate has also been seen at numerous other important events including a visit to Southport, the Duchess of Kent's funeral, the Natural History Museum and the Women's Rugby World Cup.

As anyone who has been on, or covered a royal visit, they are especially demanding.

They often take years of planning and given the distance between Australia and the UK, and differences between the two climates, royal visits can be tough.

Royal tours also have a gruelling itinerary, with palace aides and government representatives trying to cram in as many engagements as they can to make the most of the time spent in a particular place.

Accommodations were made for King Charles in light of his own cancer diagnosis as well as his age during his most recent tour of Australia. Engagements were limited to just Sydney and Canberra, with rest days in between, and the tour coincided with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in nearby Samoa.

There's no doubt the excitement would be palpable if the Wales family visited our shores.

It certainly has been a long time coming.

The last time Prince William and Kate were in Australia was in 2014 when Prince George was nine-months-old.

They had engagements in Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Canberra, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Brisbane. The royal visit began in New Zealand before moving to Australia.

Prince George is turning 12 in July next year and he will be starting at a new school, rumoured to be Eton College.

The Prince and Princess of Wales now have two more children: Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, seven.

A royal visit to Australia could possibly occur during the UK Easter school holidays in April, or in the summer holidays in late June/early July.

Prince William and Kate are known to schedule their official events around their children's school activities and this will be no different.

In 2020, the Prince and Princess of Wales were rumoured to be embarking on a visit to Australia in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires but the outbreak of the coronavirus put swift stop to those plans.

In March, the princess spoke about her desire to return to Australia but said "it's finding time to do that".

Kate made the comments to Corporal Adam Hamilton, an Australian reservist, as she attended the St Patrick's Day parade at Wellington Barracks, in central London.

She told Corporal Hamilton that Prince George often spoke about wanting to return to Australia and said he can't believe he's been.

Speaking of a possible return she said: "It's finding time to do that".

"But I love to travel – yes, it's a long flight. But I love the Middle East because that's familiar to me growing up. There are so many opportunities now to travel, I think it's brilliant to experience it.

"We tend to go further afield when it's official visits – it's being able to carve out time to experience these countries in a more private capacity.

"Because otherwise you end up seeing lots of insides of amazing buildings but you don't get to meet that many people. It's making sure that you can combine a bit of work with the children. I might see you down there!"

In May, 2023, days before the coronation, nine.com.au spoke to Prince William about a potential royal tour Down Under.

The Prince of Wales was asked by myself when Australians should expect a visit by the Wales family.

"Very soon," Prince William told me. "Where are you from in Australia?"

When I answered, he replied, "Oh, I love Sydney, we've been there a few times.

"We've had some good times in Sydney. We'll be back soon."

Prior to the King and Queen's visit in October last year, 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.

The King and Queen's visit – the King's first since the coronation – was part of a charm offensive to keep Australians engaged with the royal family, as much as it was an important, and historical, moment for Charles in his first visit as head of state.

The tour was a success and marked yet another chapter for the royal family's future in Australia and its ties with the Commonwealth.

Mr Albanese has now ruled out the possibility of a referendum on Australia transitioning to a republic during his remaining time in office.

A visit by the Wales family – in particular the three royal children – would do wonders for Australia's monarchist movement.

In 2014 Prince George was nicknamed the 'republican slayer' by commentators and this time around, having the young royal here alongside his two siblings would be the ultimate PR coup by the royal family.

While Prince William's time on the throne is, hopefully, still some time away, he and the Princess of Wales are the future of the monarchy and they will want to get out and meet as many Australians as possible – especially younger Australians who may not be as interested in the monarchy as older generations.

It is also of huge importance for Prince George to experience Australia during his formative years due to his place as eventual Head of State, after that of his father.

Australia's ties to the UK are closely linked with that of the royal family and the Commonwealth, which meant a great deal to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

While the British royals have been visiting our shores long before Elizabeth II stepped foot on Farm Cove in 1954, it really was the late Queen who began Australia's obsession with royalty, visiting 16 times during her 70-year reign.

King Charles has carried on that tradition, his most recent being the monarch's 17th time Down Under.

Now it's time for the Prince and Princess of Wales to return and create a new chapter with Australians as a family of five.

Prince William recently said "2024 was the hardest year I've ever had" in reference to his father and wife's cancer diagnoses.

This year has been a return to normality, in a way, as he and Kate carry out as many official events as they can while raising their children in Windsor.

Kate's last major royal visit was in 2022 when she and Prince William visited the Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas during the Platinum Jubilee.

It's about time they put Australia into the royal diary for 2026.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.