This week marks the 25th anniversary of Australia voting "no" in a 1999 referendum to become a republic, yet interpreting this decision as a firm commitment to the monarchy would be a mistake. The complexities behind the rejection seem lost on those who organized King Charles III's latest visit to Australia. The British-born monarch, accompanied by Queen Camilla, is making his 17th visit to the country, and his first as king, with stops in Sydney and Canberra during the six-day trip.
Surprisingly, none of Australia’s state premiers will be meeting the king in person. The Premier of Victoria has a cabinet meeting, as do the premiers of New South Wales and South Australia. The Premier of Queensland is busy with an election, while Western Australia’s Premier simply said he had "other commitments." Even the conservative Premier of Tasmania is on a trade mission in the United States. Although representatives will be sent in their place, the collective absence of these leaders feels significant.
This might be shocking to those who remember Australia’s royal visits from decades past, when crowds of millions would gather to greet members of the British royal family. During Queen Elizabeth II's first visit in 1954, it was estimated that three-quarters of the Australian population saw her in person. Back then, the nation's conservative prime minister was so enamored with the young queen that his admiration would have rivaled the most enthusiastic fans today.
In 1983, when Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Australia, they were greeted by swarms of admirers more akin to those who flock to pop stars. While Diana's popularity soared, Charles might have thought her appeal was partly due to her royal title and the fairytale image it evoked.
However, Charles, who spent six months at boarding school in Australia as a boy, should be aware that most Australians don't idolize hereditary elites. The country has long been fascinated by celebrity rather than monarchy. Diana’s fame was more tied to her status as a global icon than her royal lineage. When Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1954, it was before the advent of Australian television, which is why many, including schoolchildren, were encouraged to line the streets to catch a glimpse of the queen.
An episode of The Crown set during Charles and Diana’s 1983 tour wrongly portrays then Prime Minister Bob Hawke as agitating for a republican overthrow. While Hawke did believe Australia would be better off as a republic, he didn’t see the issue as a pressing priority.
Today’s generation of premiers reflects a similar mindset — one of pro-republican indifference. Rather than engaging with a distant institution that feels irrelevant to modern Australian life, they are choosing to focus on other matters. This growing disinterest in the monarchy reflects a broader trend in the country.
Although republican sentiment remains strong in Australia, support is evenly split between those who favor a republic and those who back the monarchy. Like Hawke, many believe that Australia’s transition from monarchy to republic is inevitable, but this shift won’t come through fierce opposition or revolution. In typical Australian fashion, the approach is more laid-back — a passive waiting for the monarchy to fade away.
As a nation of “lazy republicans,” Australians may simply hope that the monarchy will lose interest in them. The premiers’ refusal to meet King Charles III could be a reflection of this sentiment. By ignoring the visit, they may be sending a message that Australia is no longer home to the royal family — and that it’s time for the monarchy to stop calling.
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