King Charles' letter spark republican discussions in Australia

As Australia prepares to welcome King Charles for his inaugural visit as the head of state, the nation finds itself at a crossroads, with debates intensifying over its future relationship with the British monarchy.

The arrival of Charles and Queen Camilla, scheduled for the 18th of October with stops in Sydney and Canberra, has reignited discussions about republicanism and the monarchy's role in modern Australia.


The Australian Republic Movement (ARM), a group advocating for an Australian head of state, has been particularly vocal.

They made headlines this week when a letter from King Charles to the ARM was made public.

In this correspondence, the King expressed that he would not obstruct Australia's path to becoming a republic if the nation chose to do so.


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Debates about Australia's relationship with the British monarchy are intensified ahead of King Charles' first visit as head of state. Credit: Shutterstock


This exchange began with a letter from the ARM in December 2023, which requested a meeting with King Charles during his visit to discuss Australia's future and asked for public support should Australians express a desire to transition to a republic.

In March, the King's assistant private secretary, Nathan Ross, responded on his behalf.

‘The King appreciated that you took the time to write and asked me to reply on his behalf,’ Ross wrote.

‘Please be assured that your views on this matter have been carefully noted.


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 public to decide.’

Australia's relationship with the monarchy has been debated for decades.

A referendum in 1999 saw a majority of Australians vote against becoming a republic, but the conversation has only partially dissipated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been a proponent of republicanism, even appointing an assistant minister for the republic upon taking office in 2022.

However, the urgency for a second referendum has waned, with the assistant ministry being abolished in July.

Nathan Hansford, co-chair of ARM, expressed the group's desire for a respectful dialogue about Australia's future as the King visits.


He cited research suggesting that while a small percentage of Australians are staunch monarchists, a significant majority would prefer an Australian head of state, and many are unaware that Charles is the current head of state.

Philip Benwell, national chair of the Australian Monarchist League, countered by praising the stability and security provided by the current constitutional arrangement.

‘Our constitution provides stability and security,’ he said.

‘There’s never been a major crisis with our constitution since 1901 [when Australia federated]…That’s what we are campaigning against, not for the sake of the King or, earlier, the Queen, but because we believe our constitution best protects our democracy in this country because it blocks politicians from total and absolute power.’


As the debate rages on, Australians are left to ponder their national identity and governance.

The ARM hopes that the royal visit will spark a broader conversation about whether the concept of a hereditary head of state aligns with Australia's values in 2024, considering its rich Indigenous history and diverse, multicultural society.

‘The King cannot officially meet with me, just as he cannot officially meet with the Republicans, because [the republic question] is an ongoing issue in this country.’ the ARM exclaimed.

‘He’s here to meet the people, not to become involved in political issues. He’s above that as king.’
Key Takeaways
  • Debates around Australia's relationship with the British monarchy have intensified ahead of King Charles' first visit to Australia as head of state.
  • King Charles stated in a letter that he would not stand in the way if Australia decided to become a republic, reinforcing that such decisions are for the Australian public to make.
  • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has been a proponent of Australia becoming a republic, has downplayed the urgency of a second referendum on the issue.
  • Research conducted by the Australian Republic Movement suggests that most Australians would prefer an Australian head of state, while many are unaware that Charles is the current head of state.
Will his visit be a mere ceremonial affair, or will it become a catalyst for change? What are your thoughts on this royal visit and the republic debate? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
 
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If the Royals are the richest people in the world, it beggars belief that Australian tax payers are funding this holiday for the King 👑
The money would have been better spent on fixing our health system and helping all the homeless. 🥺🤬
all royal visits are paid by the country visited. ever thought of the cost of running royal households and all the charity work they do? probably not it beggars belief the way some think.
 
When will people other than ex Poms (who have already left England) please read History from centuries ago to the present day and wake up to this scandal ridden mob. They get rid of anyone worth keeping and keep filthy bastards like Charlie and Camilla who, with the Queen's blessing screwed each other in plain sight, and to hell with their own families. I totally object to paying for holidays for these filthy sods. Would any of you want to willingly pay for a fancy holiday for the local prostitute and her boyfriend. He will never be king while ever his arse points to the ground. Our own Danish Queen could teach them a lesson in DECENT behaviour. REMEMBER.... CAMILLA STATED SHE WOULD BE QUEEN WHILE SHE LIVED WITH HER HUSBAND AND KIDS. Against Elizabeth's wishes Camilla got what she wanted.
i doubt very much you are paying for this visit. i do not think bastards get charged. what a nasty unintelligent comment.
 
If I remember correctly, the 1999 referendum was a fairly closely run thing when areas of voting were taken into account. Mark Latham's big mouth was probably what prevented a win for Republicans.
AND Albo is hanging out to have total control of everything. That is my worst nightmare. Any Politician in that position will break Australia.
 
Considering his health it is ridiculous. Born and bred in a monarchy. There is something republicans may not consider. Do we vote for a head of state? What if we get some interfering dill that wants to run his or her own agenda. I am not for the monarchy because I love the royals I am in it for them not interfering with how we go about things .
 
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our pollies are hell bent on changing the relationship with royalty, REGARDLESS of what the rabble ( WE CITIZENS WANT ) it is apparent that referendums only are valid if the govt wins (they 're not).All that will happen IF the govt wins dumping the royals, is no one to oversee the polliticians.and they dont want to answer to anybody........nothing else will change....if it aint broke dont fix it !! there's more important things to do.
 
Can anybody honestly answer this question?

What purpose and benefit does the British Monarchy serve to Australia as a whole?

I expect to see wishy washy replies like "tradition", "heritage" and "ceremony".
 
So much money spent on this visit that could be spent on housing the homeless. We need to step away from the hand of England and run ourselves we are all grown up now, the monarchy means nothing in australia, it just holds us back.
It's time to man up and tuft them out, we have enough problems in this country we don't need theirs as well, they no longer rule us they are just an expensive dead weight. And let's face it we were nothing but a big jail for them to send their unwanted to, there are to many bad memories connected to england for some of our population. We are Australians not English wannabes.
 
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our pollies are hell bent on changing the relationship with royalty, REGARDLESS of what the rabble ( WE CITIZENS WANT ) it is apparent that referendums only are valid if the govt wins (they 're not).All that will happen IF the govt wins dumping the royals, is no one to oversee the polliticians.and they dont want to answer to anybody........nothing else will change....if it aint broke dont fix it !! there's more important things to do.
Do you really think the royals care about what happens in australia. No all Charles is worried about is sourcing his next organic avocado.
 
When will people other than ex Poms (who have already left England) please read History from centuries ago to the present day and wake up to this scandal ridden mob. They get rid of anyone worth keeping and keep filthy bastards like Charlie and Camilla who, with the Queen's blessing screwed each other in plain sight, and to hell with their own families. I totally object to paying for holidays for these filthy sods. Would any of you want to willingly pay for a fancy holiday for the local prostitute and her boyfriend. He will never be king while ever his arse points to the ground. Our own Danish Queen could teach them a lesson in DECENT behaviour. REMEMBER.... CAMILLA STATED SHE WOULD BE QUEEN WHILE SHE LIVED WITH HER HUSBAND AND KIDS. Against Elizabeth's wishes Camilla got what she wanted.
Wat a load of vitriol and hatred! Get a life or write for a scandal magazine.
 
When will people other than ex Poms (who have already left England) please read History from centuries ago to the present day and wake up to this scandal ridden mob. They get rid of anyone worth keeping and keep filthy bastards like Charlie and Camilla who, with the Queen's blessing screwed each other in plain sight, and to hell with their own families. I totally object to paying for holidays for these filthy sods. Would any of you want to willingly pay for a fancy holiday for the local prostitute and her boyfriend. He will never be king while ever his arse points to the ground. Our own Danish Queen could teach them a lesson in DECENT behaviour. REMEMBER.... CAMILLA STATED SHE WOULD BE QUEEN WHILE SHE LIVED WITH HER HUSBAND AND KIDS. Against Elizabeth's wishes Camilla got what she wanted.
Really is it necessary for you to be so crude? As king he has duties and unfortunately for him one is visiting Australia and by the looks of him it could be his last.Poor guy is ill and he is making a real effort to visit those who do care about him.Stop bad mouthing Camilla and how could you possibly know her or Mary for that matter!
 
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The problem with becoming a republic is that no model as to how we would move forward as a republic has ever been floated, its no good voting yes on a republic until we know how it would proceed and what the implications and costs involved are, there needs to be more transparency from the republican side of the fence as to moving forward as this is the major stumbling block to any referendum, fear of the unknown.
In an econony such as Australia is experiencing do we need to spend millions of taxpayer dollare to fund the monachy visit, they have more money than most Australian taxpayers will ever see in their lifetime.
We are funding Albo's flights all over the world, not to mention the other pollies with their snouts firmly in the taxpayers trough. Just imagine having a model like the USA's what a debacle that would be. The last referendum failed because no viable election model for a President was put forward.
 
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i see! you would have a dippy labourite in power. who said anything about Peter Dutton being in charge. it is by vote for all the dipsticks to vote.
Maybe Jacinta Price for President? Careful what you wish for. It's not completely broken, so don't fix it!
 

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