A Royal Meeting: King Charles Meets Hephner, the Alpaca

On their tour of Canberra, King Charles and Queen Camilla met Hephner, an alpaca dressed in a suit and crown. The encounter was part of their visit marking Charles' 16th official trip to Australia. They also met with government officials and addressed climate change concerns.

Among the crowd at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, King Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by a unique well-wisher: Hephner, a nine-year-old alpaca wearing a suit and a crown.

The royal encounter was part of their tour where Charles, on his 16th official visit to Australia, stopped to pat Hephner during a 30-minute walkabout. The visit also included laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier.

In a reception at Parliament House, Charles spoke of his time in Australia and climate change. The visit was briefly interrupted by a protest from Senator Lidia Thorpe. Their trip continues to Sydney and onto Samoa for a Commonwealth meeting.

(With inputs from agencies.)