19/10/2011 17:35
Queen Elizabeth II is in Australia
Crowds of cheering children waving Australian flags welcomed Queen Elizabeth II as she and her husband Prince Philip landed at an Australian air force base Wednesday in the nation's capital, the AP reported.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Governor General Quentin Bryce, the monarch's representative in Australia, greeted the royal pair, who received a 21-gun salute as they emerged from their plane.
The queen will visit Brisbane and Melbourne before opening next week's meeting of the 54-nation Commonwealth in the western coastal city of Perth. Leaders of the nations linked to Britain's former empire, who meet every two years, will consider a range of recommended reforms including lifting laws against homosexuality that exist in most Commonwealth countries, the sources report.
Newsfeed
Recent news of this section
12/12/2024 17:38