After spending a sunny weekend in Sydney where they made their first official public appearances of the tour at a church service and NSW state parliament, the royal couple will travel to Canberra on Monday.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will privately pay their respects at the Australian War Memorial commemorative area, laying a wreath and floral tribute before moving to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander memorial, For Our Country, where the public will be able to see them.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host a ceremonial welcome for the royal couple at Parliament House.

While no state premiers will attend, they will send representatives.

The royals arrived in Sydney on Friday night and spent the following day resting before a series of official events began, their itinerary shaved down due to the King’s health.

Addressing a crowd at NSW Parliament House on Sunday to mark the 200th anniversary of the Legislative Council, the King spoke of the “great joy” he felt in coming to Australia for the first time as sovereign.

He also spoke of how reflecting on the institution meant seeing “the promise and power of representative democracy”.

Before the speech, the King and Queen Camilla attended St Thomas’ Anglican Church, where crowds gathered hoping to see them.

Protesters also gathered outside the church, holding banners that read “Empire Built on Genocide” and “Decolonise” as well as Aboriginal and Lebanese flags.

The royals will return to Sydney on Tuesday where they will meet more members of the public and attend a naval fleet review on the Admiral Hudson vessel.

Following the five-day tour of Australia, they will travel to Samoa where the King will open the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

During the service at St Thomas’ on Sunday, Bishop Christopher Edwards delivered a prayer asking for the protection of the King and Queen, along with the hope that the upcoming meeting would be prosperous.

– AAP