King Charles is set to visit Australia this month. Photo / Getty Images
King Charles is set to visit Australia this month. Photo / Getty Images
Monarchists in Australia have hit out at state premiers after it was revealed all had declined invitations to attend a reception welcoming King Charles and Queen Camilla to the country.
The event honouring the royal couple is being held in Canberra next Monday night, with all the state leaders sending representatives rather than attending themselves.
It’s understood they have all cited other commitments – but the move has been deemed “insulting” by the Australian Monarchist League.
“I find it insulting,” one of the organisation’s spokespersons, Bev McArthur, told ABC News on Monday.
Buckingham Palace has not weighed in on the issue.
It follows a new poll in the Daily Telegraph revealing one in four respondents had a more favourable view of the King than they did prior to his ascension to the throne.
The results also showed 33% of those surveyed said they would like to see Australia become a republic, but 45% said they would prefer it remained a monarchy.
It means support for an Australian republic has now dropped to a lower level under the King than it was during the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Meanwhile, the King recently made it clear that he won’t be blocking the push to make Australia a republic.
King Charles III learned some traditional Samoan dance moves ahead of his upcoming visit to the nation. Photo / Getty Images
The monarch’s private secretary, Nathan Ross, told the organisation the King plans to stay out of the debate, and emphasised his “deep love and affection” for the nation.
“Please be assured that your views on this matter have been noted very carefully,” the response read.
“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.”
A Palace spokesman later added that he intends to take his lead from the late Queen.
“Like his mother before him, it has always been the case that his majesty the King feels that it is a matter for the Australian people,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed the King, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year, will “pause” his regular treatments during his high-profile tour, which will run for 11 days, door to door.
The King has been undergoing weekly treatment since his diagnosis with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year, but the Daily Mail reports doctors have granted permission for him to stretch that out to 11 days for the duration of his trip.
According to the publication, the King will “continue with his ongoing cancer treatment right up until he flies” and will “pick up” his treatment “as soon as he returns to the UK”.
In keeping with that, original plans for a longer tour which would have included a visit to New Zealand were shaved down. A full rest day, scheduled for the day after the couple land, has also been built into the itinerary in order to be mindful of his health.
