More than a ceremonial reserved for a head of state and above all for a king at the top of the Commonwealth, Carlo IIIon his next trip to Australia will have to settle for a welcome worthy of a comic book character, or rather, as some anti-monarchist defined it, “an old rock star on his last tour.” A greeting for the remaining public, in short, for Charles III who, in order to go on this tiring and distant Royal Tour, asked and obtained permission from the doctors to suspend the cancer treatments he has been undergoing since January. There will be no politicians to officially receive it, because all six Australian state premiers have made it clear that they will not participate in the reception organized in his honor on October 21 in Canberra.
The official version spread is the one that “unfortunately they already had other commitments” and who for this reason will not be able to greet or bow before their sovereign who, according to what Buckingham Palace would have made known, had every intention of meeting politicians as well as the Australian community in these 11 days.
Nonetheless, Sky News reported the news that Jacinta Allan, leader of the state of Victoria, was the latest to confirm her absence immediately after the snub was given by Peter Malinauskas, leader of South Australia, “already busy in a Cabinet meeting.” Some media from the distant continent would have intervened in defense of the monarch, such as the The Sydney Morning Herald who judged the choice “disrespectful, childish and a real insult”.
What an affront for the sovereign who, in fact, in line with what his mother, the beloved Queen Elizabeth II, has never expressed any dissent towards the country’s possible desire to leave the Commonwealth and remove his photo from public offices choosing to be an independent republic.
The idea of a referendum to leave this decision to the people had already started some time ago and the Albanian prime minister had promised it in his last electoral campaign.
The idea was to wait for the weather to say goodbye Elizabeth II from this world, so as not to upset a respected figure to whom no one would have wanted to give such a disgrace, and then proceed with the divorce. Yet, to be honest, it must be recognized that in the latest polls the anti-monarchist sentiment is not that strong. According to the Daily Telegraphin Sydney, one in four respondents would have a positive opinion of the monarch, therefore better than what they had before his coronation a year ago.
Only 33% of people who responded also say they would like to see Australia become a republic, while 45% would prefer it remain a monarchy.
The first group certainly includes those who defined the 75-year-old king as an old glory who is going to hold his farewell tour.
So they painted him on T-shirts in which he is wearing dark sunglasses and with the writing underneath: “Monarchy – The Farewell Tour of Oz” (Monarchy: Oz’s Farewell Tour). Camilla and William would also appear in the T shirts with a very vintage look. On the other hand, for those who support change, there will not be a second chance for the future residents of Buckingham Palace because with Charles III they hope to definitively close this chapter.
