What women are talking about today, Friday September 16.

Anthony Albanese is on his way to London with Governor-General David Hurley and their partners to attend the Queen's funeral on Monday. 

The PM, who left Sydney last night, will attend multiple events ahead of the occasion. 

"I feel a real sense of history here and a sense of privilege in representing Australia along with the governor-general and the acting high commissioner," Albanese told ABC Radio.

"That sense of history and the longevity of service and the dedication to service that Queen Elizabeth had over those seven decades is one of the reasons why there is an outpouring of emotion."

I sat down with @danriversitv from the UK's @itvnews before departing for London where I will represent Australia at the State Funeral Service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. pic.twitter.com/HgDQjoNabT

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 15, 2022

Travelling with Albanese will be 10 everyday Australians representing each state and territory, including Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott.

After arriving in London, the prime minister will sign a book of condolence for the late monarch at Lancaster House, will view the Queen lying in state and have a one-on-one meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. A reception with the King will also be held with other Commonwealth leaders.

Meanwhile, Welsh activists will protest the monarchy during the King's first visit to Wales since ascending the throne.

Demonstrators to protest monarchy outside Cardiff Castle as King Charles III visits Waleshttps://t.co/zKgM5jh5Za pic.twitter.com/FM28IAoirl

— WalesOnline 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@WalesOnline) September 15, 2022

Charles will visit three locations during his day-long tour of Cardiff on Friday, including Cardiff Castle, where he will meet a silent demonstration.

Those attending the rally are expected to stand and hold signs with slogans such as "Why a Monarchy?" and "Real democracy now".

Campaigners say they want the Welsh public to consider whether a future without the monarchy is possible.

- With AAP.

Roger Federer is retiring from professional tennis at the age of 41 after a series of knee operations.

Federer posted what he called a "bittersweet decision" via social media yesterday, less than a week after 23-time major champion Serena Williams played what is expected to the last match of her career.

To my tennis family and beyond,

With Love,
Roger pic.twitter.com/1UISwK1NIN

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 15, 2022

Combined, the exits by two of the greatest athletes in their sport's history represent a significant turning of the page.

Federer will exit after a career in which he won 20 grand slam titles, finished five seasons ranked No.1 and helped create a golden era of men's tennis with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I've worked hard to return to full competitive form," Federer wrote on Twitter.

"But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear."

The news brought emotional tributes from the sport's greats, including Nadal, who said: "I wish this day would have never come... It's been a pleasure but also an honour and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court." 

- With AAP.

Migrant and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women struggle to afford health care in Australia, new research shows.

More than 70 per cent of migrant women and more than half of Indigenous women say they can't afford to see a doctor, compared with 44 per cent of all women.

A survey of 14,000 participants, by non-profit organisation Jean Hailes for Women's Health, also found the marginalised groups suffered higher rates of financial decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly half of migrant and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women said their financial situation declined since the pandemic began, compared with 32 per cent of all women.

Language barriers were identified as the main reason for health inequity, with more than half of those from non-English-speaking backgrounds unable to find health information in their own language, compared with 29 per cent of all women.

"The results from the National Women's Health Survey show that there is much more work to be done when it comes to improving outcomes for women from non-English-speaking backgrounds in Australia," said Costa Vasili, chief executive of Ethnolink, which specialises in translation services.

A widespread decline in mental health since COVID-19 began was also identified among all women, including younger women and members of the LGBTQI community.

In the lead-up to the May federal election, Anthony Albanese committed to trial 50 bulk-billed urgent-care clinics across the country, including 13 in NSW. A spokesperson for health minister Mark Butler said the federal government is investing nearly $1 billion into improving Medicare.

- With AAP.

While according to astronomers, spring hasn't actually sprung just yet, hay fever sufferers and the annual black and white terrors of the skies might disagree.

Yes, it's magpie swooping season, where cyclists in particular are subject to dive bombing by magpies looking to protect their springtime nests from those devils on two wheels.

Today, The Quicky team finds out why magpies have decided we are a threat, even when we have no idea where their babies are, and whether we can actually become friends to stop our winged attackers.

Missed yesterday's news feed? Catch up on what women were talking about here.

Feature image: Mick Tsikas/Pool/Aurelien Meunier/Getty.