The King and Queen visiting the Australian War Memorial (21st, Canberra, Australia) | Mark Baker / AP Photo
Britain’s King Charles and his wife have been visiting Australia since the 18th. A welcome reception will be held, but all six Australian state premiers have reportedly declined to attend. The visit, which has been criticized by supporters of the monarchy as an insult to the king, is likely to have an impact on efforts to abolish the British constitutional monarchy, with the king as the head of state.
◆First visit after accession to the throne – Controversial welcome reception
This is King Charles’ first visit to Australia since assuming the throne. It will also be the first visit by a British monarch since 2011, and a welcome reception will be held in the capital Canberra on the 21st.
However, according to Australian media, although Australian Prime Minister Albany Gee will attend the reception, the premiers of all six states declined the invitation, citing “other commitments” such as election campaigns and cabinet meetings. The premier of New South Wales, Australia’s largest state, said he planned to meet King Charles at another time during his visit. (US political site “politiko』）
◆Is the debate reignited after the queen’s death? Calls for transition to a republic
Australia, a former British colony, became an independent country in 1901, but it still maintains a constitutional monarchy with the British King as its head of state. Australian Monarchist Alliance spokeswoman Bev MacArthur said the premiers’ lukewarm response was a “slap in the face” to the monarch and an outrageous insult (Politico).
However, there are voices calling for a republic in Australia, and a referendum was held in 1999 during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. At this time, the preservation of the monarchy was supported. However, some believed that after the death of the hugely popular queen, calls for a transition to a republic might become stronger.
Ahead of King Charles’ visit to Australia, Isaac Jeffrey of the Australian Republic Movement, a pro-republican group, told the British royal family that Australia should have a local head of state who can work full time. In response, King Charles reportedly sent a response through a royal official saying, “The transition to a republic is a matter for the Australian people to decide.” (daily mail newspaper）
◆Popular opinion is undecided. Will it be difficult to maintain the current system in the future?
In fact, Australians are divided in their opinion. Research firm a year after King Charles ascended the throneYouGov research32% of respondents want to transition to a republic as soon as possible, while 35% want to maintain a constitutional monarchy over the long term. Another 12% said the country should become a republic after King Charles’ death.
When asked whether the monarchy is good or bad, the most common answer was “Neither good nor bad” (38%), and when asked “Are you proud of the monarchy?”, the most common answer was “Neither proud nor ashamed.” The most common response was “No (42%).”
Judging from these responses, it appears that Australians do not feel an urgent need to change the current system, which has the British monarch as its head of state. However, many people believe that the monarchy will disappear in the future, with 51% saying they will not see it in place 100 years from now. Support for the monarchy is particularly low among the younger generation, making it difficult for the current regime to survive in the long term.
