In a recent visit to Australia, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Sydney, marking the first visit by a reigning monarch to the country in over ten years. Their arrival has sparked renewed discussions regarding Australia’s constitutional ties to Britain. To welcome the royal couple, the Sydney Opera House will display images of past royal visits on its iconic sails. Charles, who is receiving treatment for cancer, has a reduced itinerary for the six-day visit, which is considered brief by royal standards.
King Charles is the second reigning British monarch to visit Australia, following his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who made the first visit 70 years prior. While the visit is anticipated to receive a warm welcome, both national and state leaders in Australia are advocating for removing the monarchy from the nation’s constitution. Monarchists believe the visit will strengthen the bond between Australians and the sovereign. In contrast, opponents hope it will lead to a reconsideration of having a foreign national as Australia’s head of state.
The Australian Republic Movement (ARM), which campaigns for an Australian citizen to replace the British monarch, is comparing the visit to a touring entertainment act. ARM recently launched a campaign titled “Wave Goodbye to Royal Reign with Monarchy: The Farewell Oz Tour!” Co-chair Esther Anatolitis stated that royal visits are reminiscent of traveling shows and highlighted that Australia’s head of state is not full-time nor Australian. She expressed hope that future visits would see Charles and Camilla welcomed as visiting dignitaries.
Philip Benwell, head of the Australian Monarchist League, anticipates positive reactions to the royal visit, viewing it as an opportunity to strengthen the connection to the monarchy, given the country’s status as a constitutional monarchy. He criticized the premiers of all six states for declining invitations to a reception in Canberra, citing prior obligations. Benwell argued that attendance would have been fitting, given this is the first visit by a king to Australia.
Ahead of the visit, the Australian Republic Movement sought a meeting with King Charles, who deferred decisions regarding his schedule to the Australian government, and no meeting with ARM was arranged. Buckingham Palace reiterated that any decision on becoming a republic rests with the Australian public.
In a 1999 referendum, Australians voted to retain Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, a decision attributed to disagreements over how a president should be chosen rather than enthusiasm for the monarchy. Following Sydney and Canberra, King Charles will proceed to Samoa to inaugurate the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Queen Elizabeth II’s last visit to Australia in 2011 included stops in Canberra, Brisbane, and Melbourne, before attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth. Her first tour in 1954 was extensive, as she visited numerous Outback towns, drawing an estimated 75% of the population to see her. During that period, Australia’s immigration policy favored British immigrants, which has since become nondiscriminatory post-1973. Anatolitis highlighted the country’s transition to being more multicultural, attributing this to increased global interconnectedness since the 1950s.
