Will King Charles III’s rumoured 2024 visit to Australia bring the 'end of the monarchy'?
- Replies 24
A royal visit is a rare and special occasion, made even more so because the guest of honour is none other than the head of the Commonwealth: King Charles III.
As rumours swirl that Australia will see the King officially visit next year, some people are undoubtedly aware that the trip could renew the debate about Australia becoming a republic.
Last Sunday, October 8, royal aides revealed to a news source that the monarch is allegedly preparing for a visit to Sydney, which will coincide with his first attendance as the Head of the Commonwealth at its summit meeting in Samoa.
In response, Assistant Minister for the Republic (an anti-monarchist role created in the Australian Labor Party last year) Matt Thistlewaite told a news source: ‘The King will always be welcome in Australia and greeted fondly by the Australian people.’
He continued: ‘But in modern-day Australia, his visit will trigger a renewed conversation about having our own head of state who lives with us, represents us and is an Australian.’
The King will be at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next October, and it is believed that he will extend the tour to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
He was criticised for not making any official visit to any Commonwealth country during the first year of his reign. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that King Charles III was ‘disquieted’ by the delay in the official invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
‘It is fair to say there has been some disquiet about it. As is protocol, the King cannot act upon anything until he receives an official invite,’ an anonymous source said of the situation between PM Albanese and the King.
But for some, the King’s delayed visit is no issue at all.
‘By the time Charles visits, he’ll have been King of Australia for more than two years. He’s hardly been in a rush to visit us, and that’s fine—we don’t need him,’ Isaac Jeffrey, leader of the Australian Republic Movement protest group, declared.
A survey found that 78 per cent of 1,500 Australians believe the Royal Family should pick up the tab for any state visit by the King or Queen.
In 2011, the royal visit cost the taxpayers $2.6 million AUD.
It is also believed that royal aides are closely watching the referendum, where Aussies would vote on whether they would grant permission for an Indigenous Voice in Parliament.
If this is successful, the Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed it will hold a vote to test the country’s interest in being a Republic if it is elected for a second term in 2025.
A recent YouGov poll found a growing appetite for a republic, with 32 per cent of Australians wanting one 'as soon as possible'— a 12 per cent jump compared to the results from the same survey last year.
Some sources believe that King Charles’s official engagements will be targeted to bring up the case of having a president. They added that ‘conversations on both sides’ have occurred and that ‘the King has made it clear he is keen to meet as many Australians as he can when the opportunity arises’.
The Palace, however, would not comment on the details of Australian Prime Minister Albanese's discussions with the King.
What’s your take on this, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
As rumours swirl that Australia will see the King officially visit next year, some people are undoubtedly aware that the trip could renew the debate about Australia becoming a republic.
Last Sunday, October 8, royal aides revealed to a news source that the monarch is allegedly preparing for a visit to Sydney, which will coincide with his first attendance as the Head of the Commonwealth at its summit meeting in Samoa.
King Charles III is set to visit Australia next year. Credit: WalesOnline/Facebook
In response, Assistant Minister for the Republic (an anti-monarchist role created in the Australian Labor Party last year) Matt Thistlewaite told a news source: ‘The King will always be welcome in Australia and greeted fondly by the Australian people.’
He continued: ‘But in modern-day Australia, his visit will trigger a renewed conversation about having our own head of state who lives with us, represents us and is an Australian.’
The King will be at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next October, and it is believed that he will extend the tour to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
He was criticised for not making any official visit to any Commonwealth country during the first year of his reign. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that King Charles III was ‘disquieted’ by the delay in the official invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
‘It is fair to say there has been some disquiet about it. As is protocol, the King cannot act upon anything until he receives an official invite,’ an anonymous source said of the situation between PM Albanese and the King.
But for some, the King’s delayed visit is no issue at all.
‘By the time Charles visits, he’ll have been King of Australia for more than two years. He’s hardly been in a rush to visit us, and that’s fine—we don’t need him,’ Isaac Jeffrey, leader of the Australian Republic Movement protest group, declared.
A survey found that 78 per cent of 1,500 Australians believe the Royal Family should pick up the tab for any state visit by the King or Queen.
In 2011, the royal visit cost the taxpayers $2.6 million AUD.
It is also believed that royal aides are closely watching the referendum, where Aussies would vote on whether they would grant permission for an Indigenous Voice in Parliament.
If this is successful, the Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed it will hold a vote to test the country’s interest in being a Republic if it is elected for a second term in 2025.
A recent YouGov poll found a growing appetite for a republic, with 32 per cent of Australians wanting one 'as soon as possible'— a 12 per cent jump compared to the results from the same survey last year.
Some sources believe that King Charles’s official engagements will be targeted to bring up the case of having a president. They added that ‘conversations on both sides’ have occurred and that ‘the King has made it clear he is keen to meet as many Australians as he can when the opportunity arises’.
The Palace, however, would not comment on the details of Australian Prime Minister Albanese's discussions with the King.
What’s your take on this, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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may she rest in peace.
