Janette Wentworth witnessed Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Australia in 1954, waiting on Sydney streets for hours just to get a brief glimpse of the monarch.

Fast forward 68 years, Ms Wentworth was once again witnessing royal history in Australia, watching as the Queen’s son King Charles III was formally proclaimed as sovereign by Governor-General David Hurley.

She was one of hundreds of people who lined the forecourt and streets surrounding Parliament House on Sunday to watch the proclamation ceremony.

Ms Wentworth said it was important to witness history taking place.

“I wanted to see this because this is the king, and our generation will never see another queen, but it would be nice to say I saw the (proclamation for the) king,” she told AAP.

She said after being heir to the throne for seven decades, King Charles III would have a lot of insight into how to be a monarch.

“Charles has got so much behind him now, he’ll be a really good king,” she said.

“Everything’s changed, we’ve got a new prime minister, England have got a new prime minister, everything’s different at the moment, it’s a lot of change.”

Colin Lyon travelled more than two hours from Gundagai to witness the proclamation.

He said he had been “gutted” by the news of the Queen’s death and said it was important to attend the ceremony.

“It’s a historical event, a service marking a peaceful transition of the sovereign and paying respect to her late majesty,” he said.

“No doubt the (republic) debate will be revived at some point in the foreseeable future, but you know, now’s not the time.”

By Andrew Brown in Canberra

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