King Charles tells Republican campaigners ‘I won’t stop Australia ditching the crown’

The King will not stand in the way if Australia looks to replace him as head of state, he has told republican campaigners.

As Charles prepares for a historic visit Down Under, he told anti-monarchists he will not interfere if the people of Australia one day vote to remove him.

In a letter to the Australian Republic Movement (ARM), who had written to Buckingham Palace to request a meeting with the monarch when he arrives on his landmark royal tour next week, his assistant private secretary emphasised His Majesty’s “deep love and affection” for Australia.

Dr Nathan Ross added: “Please be assured that your views on this matter have been noted very carefully. His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his ministers, republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian public to decide.”

He also commended them for their “thoughtfulness” in writing, saying it was “warmly appreciated”.

The ARM campaign had itself praised the “important contribution” of the royal family, saying many Australians would continue to “respect the British monarchy” and wish the two countries to remain “the closest of friends and allies”.

But they insisted in their letter that it was time for their country to stand “on an equal footing with other nations” internationally and claimed there was mounting support for the move.

The last referendum on the issue was held in 1999 and saw almost 55 per cent vote no to ditching the head of state.

However in January the Australian government said it had indefinitely put on hold new plans for a vote, with ministers saying it was “not a priority”.

The King’s sentiments are not a change in policy but the fact that he is voicing them on the eve of such a major tour show the new maturity of the debate around the issue.

The strength and longevity of the royal family’s links with Australia are such that there is no doubt any such move would be met with disappointment.

But as the King makes clear through his private secretary, it is something he would accept.

Currently 14 countries around the world retain the British monarch as their head of state.

The most recent country to sever ties was Barbados which became a republic in 2021, but remains a key Commonwealth ally and enjoys warm relations with the UK.

Indeed as Prince of Wales, Charles represented the late Queen at their independence celebrations and just this week held an official call with the country’s prime minister.

Jamaica has made clear it also wants independence and is set to vote on the issue later this year, with other nations set to follow.

But countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada are considered far less likely to cut the cord.

The King’s representative in Australia, Governor General Sam Mostyn, said recently that the King has a “huge regard” for Australia, and wants to celebrate the best of the country where he can.

“He wants to see modern Australia, engage with communities broadly though within a tight time frame, given his health,” she said.

Ms Mostyn described the King as a “very kind man” who was “deeply invested in the success of Australia in our own right”.

ARM co-chairman Nathan Hansford told the Mail that their invitation to discuss the matter with the King was “politely declined”, adding: “The concept of having a monarch of Australia does not fit well with most Australians in 2024. We are such a wonderfully diverse nation that most people feel is not represented by a monarch.”

When the King arrives on Friday, accompanied by Queen Camilla, for a six-day official visit, it will not only be his first as its sovereign, it will also be the first time a British king has ever visited the country.

The only ruling monarch in recent history to have visited was the late Queen Elizabeth, who remains enduringly popular in Australia.

Her death in 2022 led some to suggest there might be a surge of support for the anti-monarchist cause.

However according to a poll undertaken by The Australian, the national appetite for a republic has grown by just 4 per cent in a decade, which the newspaper described as “hardly a tsunami of support”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while enjoying a personally “warm” relationship with King Charles, has made no secret of his desire to hold another ballot.

He has said previously that a republic is “inevitable” and appointed the country’s first ever minister dedicated to the mission.

But earlier this year Mr Albanese, who will meet with the King during his visit, kicked the issue into the long grass and the ministerial role was scrapped.

Charles and Camilla’s welcome is expected to be disrupted by anti-monarchist campaigners – but not Australian ones.

The British group Republic has sent out its chief executive officer, Graham Smith, to organise “Not My King” protests at royal engagements in Sydney and Canberra.

Ironically, this is in direct contravention of the wishes of Australian republican campaigners.

ARM’s Mr Hansford told the Mail: “We do not protest, we are focused on driving the conversation within Australia about our independence.”

Mr Smith has already posted a series of selfies on social media in recent weeks, including waving a flag by himself on a beach, during his own progress around the country.

An Australian citizen who lives in the UK, he insisted that he was not there campaigning for an Australian republic.

He says he wants to “challenge the King’s role in representing the UK abroad” and raise awareness that Britain is not a “royalist nation”.

Asked how he was paying for his trip, Mr Smith it was being funded by members and donors, but that he was “keeping costs minimal” by staying with friends.

The news that a British group with no ties to Australia is trying to disrupt the royal visit has not gone down well with some – and is believed to be adding significantly to the cost of policing the tour.

Philip Benwell, national chairman of the Australian Monarchist League (AML), said: “This is clear foreign interference in how Australians engage with their sovereign head of state, particularly through British funding for posters and materials designed to create division in our country.

“No foreign organisation should ever be allowed to interfere with our democracy.”

Describing Mr Smith’s behaviour as arrogant, he continued: “We only hope that the proposed protests by republicans, particularly by the head of [British] Republic, will not detract from the visit and not put people off from attending.

“He may have links to Australia but we don’t want him here.”

He also praised the King’s “bravery” in attempting the “arduous” journey in spite of his cancer diagnosis.

Mr Benwell said there was enormous “goodwill” for the visit and affection for the royal family generally.

New South Wales Police said: “A police operation will be undertaken during the duration of the visit. The priority is to ensure the safety of the visiting dignitaries and the community.”