Prince William and Kate invited on major royal tour after key meeting with King Charles

Prince William and Princess Kate have been invited to undertake a royal tour of Australia, after the country's prime minister met with King Charles in Balmoral.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said there was a "standing invitation" for Kate and William to visit the country in the "coming period", and is "hopeful" they will take him up on the offer.

The Prince and Princess of Wales haven't taken part in an official royal tour since 2022, when they travelled to the Caribbean before heading to the US later the same year for the Earthshot Prize in Boston.

Mr Albanese made the comments after he travelled to Balmoral for an official audience with the King as the pair, who met last October during the King and Queen's nine-day tour to Australia, posed for photos.

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Speaking after their meeting, the Prime Minister was asked whether Kate and William would be invited for a royal tour. He said: "I'm certainly hoping there will be one, there's a standing invitation that the royal family are always welcome in Australia.

"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".

William and Kate last travelled to Australia in 2014, bringing Prince George, who was just nine months old at the time, with them. According to royal photographer Arthur Edwards, if the Prince and Princess of Wales did head Down Under for a royal tour, it would be a "total delight".

He told The Sun: "Every time I have been with Prince William Down Under the crowds have thronged to see him with total delight. When he went with Catherine and their then baby son George in 2014 they were mobbed wherever they went, whether it was the zoo or at Sydney's Manly beach with the lifesavers.

"William and Catherine are probably the most popular royal couple in the world right now and will be treated like superstars."

Edwards added that their potential trip would be even more of a success if they brought their children with them, saying it would make the royal engagement a "sure fire hit".

He said: "William is now the Prince of Wales and he should be representing the King on these major tours."