Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have been formally welcomed to the Gold Coast by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lady Cosgrove ahead of a night of Commonwealth Games fanfare.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall travelled south from Brisbane on Wednesday night for the friendly reception of dignitaries at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the King of Tonga, before departing for the opening ceremony at Carrara Stadium.
"For all the stories of individual achievement that are about to unfold at these Games, I have no doubt that once all the medals have been awarded and the results tallied, the overall winner will be the Commonwealth itself and the values for which it stands," Prince Charles said in his address.
Charles wore a light grey suit and a duck egg blue tie to match Camilla's blue sleeved dress with white detailing, which she accessorised with a pearl choker and camel-coloured shoes.
"It gives my wife and I the greatest possible pleasure to be here on the Gold Coast and to join so many of you who have travelled across the Commonwealth for these 21st Commonwealth Games," the Prince said.
He reminisced on once being told details of the month-long ship and rail journey Australian athletes made to Hamilton in Canada to compete in the first official Games in 1930.
"Thirty-two years ago it was a little less taxing and I hope your journeys on this occasion were even less so," he said.
"It is quite remarkable, when you think about it, that 6600 athletes and team officials from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories have gathered here and in Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville for this great celebration of sport and of our Commonwealth family."
They left the reception for a brief formal meeting with the Cosgroves in a private room, with Camilla slipping off her shoes for the walk through the hotel's corridors.
The Governor-General said the pair "should go for whatever looks the most comfortable" and pointed at the cushioned chairs before media and officials were ushered from the room.
Cosgrove welcomed the beginning of the Games as a celebration of the Commonwealth's shared history, and its greatest strength - diversity.
The Prince of Wales will read a message to the opening ceremony crowd written by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, which has been furled inside a baton for its 388-day journey to the Gold Coast.
