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King Charles III has wrapped up his first visit to Australia as a reigning British monarch, marking the first such visit in 13 years.
The trip took place against a backdrop of renewed debate over Australia’s status as a constitutional monarchy, with anti-monarchists hoping the king’s visit will spark further discussion about replacing the British monarch with an Australian citizen as head of state.
During their time in Australia, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, participated in a variety of events, including watching Indigenous dancers perform at a community centre in Sydney.
They engaged with locals by cooking sausages at a community barbecue in Parramatta and greeted well-wishers outside the Sydney Opera House. Their visit culminated in an inspection of navy ships during a fleet review on Sydney Harbour.
Despite the royal couple’s warm receptions, Charles’s trip was notably scaled back due to his ongoing cancer treatment. He is set to arrive in Samoa on Wednesday.
The visit was not without controversy. Indigenous activist Wayne Wharton, 60, was arrested outside the Sydney Opera House just before the royal couple’s arrival.
According to a police statement, “It will be alleged the man was acting in an abusive and threatening manner and had failed to comply with two previous move-on directions.” Wharton faces charges for failing to comply with police directions and will appear in court on November 5.
Wharton expressed his intention to serve Charles with a summons related to war crimes and genocide, stating, “The royal visit was a slap in the face to every decent Aboriginal person and fair-minded person in Australia that’s tried to make a go of their lives.”
On Monday, during a reception, Indigenous independent senator Lidia Thorpe made headlines by yelling at Charles, declaring, “You are not my king, and this is not your land.” Wharton voiced his support for Thorpe, asserting he backed her “absolutely 100%.”
He was part of a small group of demonstrators who protested outside a church service attended by the royals, bearing a banner that read “Empire Built on Genocide.”
Co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement, Esther Anatolitis, remarked on the changing dynamics of royal visits.
While acknowledging that many Australians turned out to see the king and queen, she noted that the crowd sizes were significantly larger during Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Australia 70 years ago.
“It’s understandable that Australians would be welcoming the king and queen, we also welcome them,” Anatolitis said. “But it doesn’t make any sense to continue to have a head of state appointed by birth right from another country.”
Anatolitis recognised the challenges ahead, stating, “Getting a majority of Australians in a majority of states to vote to change the constitution would be difficult. Australians haven’t changed their constitution since 1977.”
Constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Charles, now 75, is unlikely to witness significant changes regarding the monarchy during his lifetime.
She pointed out that the failed referendum last year for an Indigenous advisory body indicated a reluctance among Australians to amend the constitution. “It’s just that on the whole people aren’t prepared to change the constitution,” Twomey said.
National chair of the Australian Monarchist League, Philip Benwell, defended the monarchy amid the controversy, stating, “I think she alienated a lot of sympathy. If anything, she’s helped to strengthen our support.”
Thorpe has faced criticism, even from some Indigenous leaders, for her outburst during the reception. However, she remained unrepentant, arguing, “I think what was unacceptable is the violence in that room, of the King of England praising himself, dripping in stolen wealth. That’s what’s violent.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his desire for Australia to become a republic but has ruled out a referendum during his current three-year term. A vote remains a possibility if his centre-left Labour Party wins the elections due by May next year.
The last referendum in 1999, which sought to retain Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, is widely believed to have failed due to disagreements over how a president would be chosen rather than strong support for the monarchy.
A royal historian at Sydney University, Cindy McCreery, believes Australia may not be ready for a transition to a republic just yet. “There’s interest in becoming a republic, but logistically speaking, we’re not going to have a referendum on that issue any time soon,” she said.
McCreery noted the need for a deeper engagement with Australia’s complicated history before considering such a change, stating, “Becoming a republic doesn’t mean that we’ve somehow thrown off British colonialism. It hopefully has meant that we’re engaging with our own history in an honest and thoughtful way.”
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