The King’s historic first visit to Australia as its head of state has been branded “The Farewell Oz Tour” by republicans.
Charles and wife Camilla arrive Down Under on Friday for the high profile six-day trip, amid a debate over the monarchy’s future in the country. The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has labelled the tour as the “chance to wave goodbye to royal reign”.
It comes as Australia’s six state premiers announced they would ditch a reception for the King and Queen in Canberra on Monday. Victoria’s Jacinta Allan, South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas and New South Wales premier Chris Minns claimed they have cabinet meetings to attend while Queensland premier Steven Miles said he was busy working on his election campaign. Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff is on a US trade mission and Western Australia’s premier Roger Cook simply said he has “other commitments”.
King Charles III in September 2024 ( Image: PA)
The ARM has called on supporters to sign a farewell card for Charles and Camilla and said it is time to reset the conversation about the future of the monarchy. Its campaign features a rock-style logo showing Charles, Camilla and the Prince of Wales wearing aviator sunglasses and waving, beneath the words ‘Monarchy – The Farewell Oz Tour’.
Esther Anatolitis, co-chairwoman of the ARM, said while wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the logo in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Welcome to Monarchy The Farewell Oz Tour. It’s time to wave goodbye to royal reign. This week’s visit is a valuable opportunity for us to ask that question we’ve been asking for many years, why does Australia still have a King?
“Does it make sense that our head of state inherits the role by birthright and isn’t here for Australians full time? By all means, let’s welcome Charles and Camilla to Australia, but let’s see this as the last visit of a sitting monarch. Makes a lot of sense.”
The ARM suggests that 40% of Australians do not realise Charles is Australia’s head of state. However, a new poll in the country found only a third (33%) of Australians believe the country should become a republic, compared with 45% in favour of it remaining a monarchy. Philip Benwell, chairman of pro royal Australian Monarchist League, said: “The overwhelming sentiment reflected in this poll challenges the Australian Republican Movement’s narrative.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla on Broadbeach in April 2018 ( Image: Getty Images)
He added: “Using words like ‘the last tour of a king and queen of Australia’ is not only wrong, it is terribly disrespectful to Charles, particularly given his ongoing cancer battle. Whereas most people would shy away from such a lengthy and arduous tour, Charles, King of Australia, has stopped his cancer treatment to undertake this tour of Australia and to go out and meet the Australian people.
“He should be applauded for his bravery, not insulted by these Australian and British republicans.”
The King, 75, is pausing his cancer treatment during the long-haul trip, which will also see him travel to Samoa afterwards for a state visit and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has a long-held aim of holding a referendum on breaking ties with the British monarchy and his country becoming a republic.
The plans were put on hold after Australians overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give greater political rights to Indigenous people in a referendum held last year.
A referendum was held in 1999 on proposals to become a republic and replace Queen Elizabeth II with a president. But the idea was rejected, with almost 55% of the Australian population voting No. Buckingham Palace is yet to comment.
