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The new monarch held this morning an audience with Linda Dessau, the Governor of Victoria, Australia, at Balmoral. In the snap, both King Charles and Ms Dessau smiled widely while standing next to one another.
This meeting comes at a pivotal time for King Charles, who became the head of state of Britain, Australia and 13 other realms following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8.
In the wake of the late monarch’s passing, the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) ramped up its campaigning aiming to constitutional reform and eventually see the country elect a head of state.
However, they are facing a battle against everyday Australians who believe there is no need to ditch the monarchy on the basis of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, according to the former senator of Tanzania Eric Abetz, the chair of the Australian Monarchist League’s campaign.
He told the Guardian it is up to pro-republic campaigners to make a case for such a groundbreaking change, adding he believes a republic would do “absolutely nothing” for the “average man or woman in the street”.
Moreover, a number of recent polls suggest the support for a republic in Australia remains lower than 50 percent.
In a huge boost for King Charles, a Roy Morgan SMS Poll conducted by SMS on September 12 on 1,012 Australians suggested an increasing majority of citizens Down Under believe their country should remain a monarchy.
The poll results showed that 60 percent of those surveyed, up 5 percent since a similar analysis was carried out, said to support a future under a sovereign while 40 percent of those polled want a republic with an elected president.
Australians already voted on whether to turn their country into a republic in 1999.
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The majority of voters, 54.87 percent, voted against changing the constitution in order to become a republic, while 45.13 percent supported the proposal.
While republicanism appears to have lost momentum in the country, the government of Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned “the time is coming” for the country to discuss becoming a republic.
However, assistant minister for the republic Matt Thistlethwaite said, the main focus is not on this issue at the moment but, rather, on its current campaign for an Indigenous voice to Parliament.
He said in late September: “The priority is the voice and that’s where our energy is directed at the moment.
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“Hopefully, if it’s successful, I would have prepared the ground for a debate about an Australian head of state.”
The Australian Labor Party has long officially supported a republic in the country, as has the Green Party.
The last royal to visit Australia was Princess Anne, who headed Down Under in April.
In July, royal commentator Russell Myers tipped Prince William and Kate, the now Prince and Princess of Wales, for a tour in the country.
Appearing on Pod Save The Queen, the expert said: “When we might see a bigger tour… I definitely think we will see a tour of Australia early next year. And they’ve got to take the children.
“They didn’t go during the Platinum Jubilee year and there’s definitely a republican sentiment growing in Australia; they’ve just appointed a junior minister for the republic.
“I think this is something that the Cambridges will need to do.
“And whenever the school holidays are at Easter time, I imagine they will be getting on a plane.”
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