Sunday 13 October 2024
Chris Ship
Royal Editor
ITV
King Charles III during a visit to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.Credit: PA
The Republic movement in Australia is in a buoyant mood.
Days away from the King’s historic visit to Australia, they have released new research claiming 40 per cent of Australians don’t actually know Charles is their head of state.
Calling King Charles and Queen Camilla’s trip “The Farewell Oz Tour”, the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) says its research shows that nearly two in three people would prefer Australia to sever ties with the British monarchy.
However, other polling in Australia suggests Charles' popularity has increased since he became King.
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NewsCorp’s Pulse of Australia found fewer people (33%) support becoming a republic and just under half (45%) thought Australia should remain a constitutional monarchy.
In other words, according to this survey, the republican cause has gone backwards since the change of reign, defying expectations that it would surge following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
It’s also been revealed that ARM has been sent a letter from the man they want to replace as their head of state.
In gently declining the campaigners’ offer to meet in person during his visit, the King effectively wished the group well in its bid to become a republic.
One of the King’s senior aides wrote to the Australian Republic Movement from Buckingham Palace saying the King will not stand in their way if the Australian people do wish to chart a different constitutional course.
Dr Nathan Ross, an assistant private secretary to the King, said that ARM’s views on the debate “have been noted“ and wrote: “His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his ministers, and whether Australia becomes a republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian people to decide.”
Buckingham Palace did not respond to the leak of the letter, first published in the Daily Mail, but senior royal sources told ITV News the King would never refuse to accept the results of a democratic mandate, should one happen in Australia.
The King of Australia, as Charles is known here, will embark on a five-day trip, full of historic comparisons and surprising medical permissions.
King Charles, who will be 76 next month and still has cancer, will travel to the other side of the world to fulfil a promise he made to visit Australia.
His cancer treatment will be paused while he is in Australia and then Samoa straight afterwards for a Commonwealth summit.
The Republic movement in Australia is in a buoyant mood.
Days away from the King’s historic visit to Australia, they have released new research claiming 40 per cent of Australians don’t actually know Charles is their head of state.
Calling King Charles and Queen Camilla’s trip “The Farewell Oz Tour”, the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) says its research shows that nearly two in three people would prefer Australia to sever ties with the British monarchy.
However, other polling in Australia suggests Charles' popularity has increased since he became King.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
NewsCorp’s Pulse of Australia found fewer people (33%) support becoming a republic and just under half (45%) thought Australia should remain a constitutional monarchy.
In other words, according to this survey, the republican cause has gone backwards since the change of reign, defying expectations that it would surge following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
It’s also been revealed that ARM has been sent a letter from the man they want to replace as their head of state.
In gently declining the campaigners’ offer to meet in person during his visit, the King effectively wished the group well in its bid to become a republic.
One of the King’s senior aides wrote to the Australian Republic Movement from Buckingham Palace saying the King will not stand in their way if the Australian people do wish to chart a different constitutional course.
Dr Nathan Ross, an assistant private secretary to the King, said that ARM’s views on the debate “have been noted“ and wrote: “His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his ministers, and whether Australia becomes a republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian people to decide.”
Buckingham Palace did not respond to the leak of the letter, first published in the Daily Mail, but senior royal sources told ITV News the King would never refuse to accept the results of a democratic mandate, should one happen in Australia.
The King of Australia, as Charles is known here, will embark on a five-day trip, full of historic comparisons and surprising medical permissions.
King Charles, who will be 76 next month and still has cancer, will travel to the other side of the world to fulfil a promise he made to visit Australia.
His cancer treatment will be paused while he is in Australia and then Samoa straight afterwards for a Commonwealth summit.
King Charles III speaking with Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese at Buckingham Palace in London in 2022.Credit: PA
Doctors gave Charles permission to travel only if he agreed to scale back the number of engagements each day and reduce the amount of travelling.
Despite clocking up several trips abroad as King, Charles has yet to go to a Realm – one of the 14 countries outside the UK where the British Monarch remains the head of state.
So, while Germany was his first overseas trip as King, and Kenya was Charles’ first visit as King to a Commonwealth country, he hasn’t been to a Realm since his accession upon the death of his mother in September 2022.
And while we are on historical comparisons, Australia’s never had a visit from a British King – not ever.
None of Queen Elizabeth’s male predecessors made it Down Under.
But like many of the King’s 14 Realms, including New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Belize, Antigua, and The Bahamas, Australians do live a long way away from their UK-based, British-born, head of state.
And many of the realms, like Jamaica, think it’s time to cut ties with the colonial past and elect their own heads of state.
Doctors gave Charles permission to travel only if he agreed to scale back the number of engagements each day and reduce the amount of travelling.
Despite clocking up several trips abroad as King, Charles has yet to go to a Realm – one of the 14 countries outside the UK where the British Monarch remains the head of state.
So, while Germany was his first overseas trip as King, and Kenya was Charles’ first visit as King to a Commonwealth country, he hasn’t been to a Realm since his accession upon the death of his mother in September 2022.
And while we are on historical comparisons, Australia’s never had a visit from a British King – not ever.
None of Queen Elizabeth’s male predecessors made it Down Under.
But like many of the King’s 14 Realms, including New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Belize, Antigua, and The Bahamas, Australians do live a long way away from their UK-based, British-born, head of state.
And many of the realms, like Jamaica, think it’s time to cut ties with the colonial past and elect their own heads of state.
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