King Charles made a brief address at the New South Wales Legislative Council, where he praised the “promise and power of representative democracy.”

Royal expert Chris Ship shared a video of King Charles’ speech to the NSW Parliament, highlighting the significance of his visit. The monarch spoke about his return to Australia, marking the first time he has visited the country as King.

Ship tweeted, “WATCH: After having been here as Prince Charles in 1974 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the NSW Parliament – King Charles spoke about being back in Australia for the first time as King – and now marking this parliament’s 200th anniversary.”

According to AFP, King Charles lightened the mood with a joke about his age, saying, “I first came to Australia nearly 60 years ago, which is slightly worrying,” drawing laughter from the audience.

Later, Buckingham Palace shared photos from King Charles’ visit to the NSW Parliament along with his statement. “What a great joy it is to come to Australia for the first time as Sovereign, and to renew a love of this country and its people which I have cherished for so long,” the statement read.