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Prince William visiting Australia | Prince William visiting Australia |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Prince William has arrived in Australia for an unofficial tour taking in areas hit by devastating bushfires in 2009. | |
The prince, who personally requested the trip, arrived from New Zealand where he had been on his first official visit representing the Queen. | |
He was greeted with a traditional smoking ceremony in the predominantly Aboriginal Sydney suburb of Redfern. | |
He will also meet Australian soldiers in Sydney before visiting the fire-ravaged communities outside Melbourne. | |
The 27-year-old last visited Australia as a nine-month-old baby, in 1983. | |
On arrival on Tuesday, the prince was first taken to meet the Queen's representative in Australia, Governor General Quentin Bryce. | On arrival on Tuesday, the prince was first taken to meet the Queen's representative in Australia, Governor General Quentin Bryce. |
They were joined for lunch by Australian singer Delta Goodrem, cricketer Michael Clarke and Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham. | |
The prince met members of Sydney's Aboriginal community | |
In Redfern, he watched as an Aboriginal elder carried out the sacred cleansing ritual, fanning a cloud of smoke from a pile of smouldering leaves. | |
William then waved to the cheering crowd of about 2,000 well-wishers, before being ushered inside a community centre to meet indigenous Australians. | |
"We're over the moon that he's come to this part of the city to spend time with us," said Lewis Kelly, from Kempsey, 260 miles north of Sydney. | |
"I was surprised when I heard it on the grapevine that he was coming here to see the indigenous people, the real Australians." | |
The prince's tour comes as a poll revealed the majority of Australians would prefer Prince William to be their next king instead of his father Prince Charles. | The prince's tour comes as a poll revealed the majority of Australians would prefer Prince William to be their next king instead of his father Prince Charles. |
The survey for ITV News found 58% of those interviewed thought William should be the next monarch, compared with 30% for Charles. | The survey for ITV News found 58% of those interviewed thought William should be the next monarch, compared with 30% for Charles. |
It found 45% of Australians were in favour of the Queen remaining Australia's head of state and 43% were against. | It found 45% of Australians were in favour of the Queen remaining Australia's head of state and 43% were against. |
The survey saw 1,203 Australian adults questioned. | The survey saw 1,203 Australian adults questioned. |
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