Around 1000 flag-waving and cheering royal fans have greeted Prince Charles and his wife Camilla to Brisbane before the prince opens the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games later on Wednesday night.
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The royal couple touched down in Brisbane on a RAAF plane at 12.20pm, after reportedly spending time visiting friends in Gundagai in country NSW.
Their first stop has been Old Government House at the Botanic Gardens for the formal welcome to Australia.
They will inspect the honour guard and a 21 gun-salute, before they take a more informal stroll through the botanic gardens, where the crowd has built up after earlier heavy showers kept people away.
Charles and Camilla were greeted by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton before signing the visitors book at Old Government House.
Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel were part of the welcoming party.
After the gardens' event, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit Lady Cilento Children's Hospital before heading to the Gold Coast for the Games' opening.
The tour is the 16th trip to Australia and the seventh to Queensland for Charles, while it is Camilla's third visit.
It comes at an important time for the British monarchy, with republican sentiment gaining traction in Australia.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports an Australian republic, says he is looking forward to catching up with the prince, who he says is a thoughtful, charming and knowledgeable man
"We always get on very well," he told ABC Radio.
"The prince and I, and Lucy (Turnbull) share a lot of common interests, particularly in terms of urbanism, architecture, planning, environment and ecology."
Charles will also visit Bundaberg and Cairns during his trip to Queensland, and is scheduled to fly to Vanuatu and the Northern Territory before heading home next week.
Australian Associated Press
