A new monarch for Australia?

4 Dec 2012, 6:46 pm   -   Source: AAP
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While monarchists toast the impending birth of a baby who could create royal history, republicans are wondering whether he, or she, will ever reign over Australia.

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While monarchists toast the impending birth of a baby who could create royal history, republicans are wondering whether he, or she, will ever reign over Australia.

If Prince William and his wife Catherine's first child, due around the middle of next year, is a girl, she will be set to make history.

The sex of the baby for once won't matter, in terms of royal succession, following legal changes agreed by all commonwealth countries last year and announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Whether a boy or girl, the new baby will become third in line to the British throne after Prince Charles and Prince William, relegating William's brother Harry to fourth.

But Australian republicanism might affect the extent of the new baby's ultimate dominion.

Republican fever has gone off the boil since the defeat of the 1999 referendum, but is expected to resurface after the end of Elizabeth II's reign.

So whether Australia remains under the umbrella of monarchy long enough for the succession of the new baby, or even for Prince Charles to become king, is a moot point.

When Charles visited Australia last month with his wife Camilla to celebrate the Queen's diamond jubilee, republicans said 48 per cent of Australians supported a republic, but admitted the issue was a long way off the national agenda.

Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy director Jai Martinkovits summed up the opinion polls by saying the only support for a republic was among middle-aged baby boomers; the elderly were rusted-on monarchists and the young largely couldn't care less.

Republicanism aside, Australians reacted with delight and affection on hearing Tuesday's royal baby news.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said it would bring joy to William and Kate, their families and to many people around the world.

"Clearly it is a time of joy and it can also be a time of challenge," she told reporters in Melbourne.

"And I'm sure many will be thinking of Kate when she deals with morning sickness and is in hospital.

"But from the Australian people to Prince William and Kate, delightful news and our congratulations."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tweeted: "A royal baby is on the way! Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge."

The topic dominated social media, with one contributor claiming to be tweeting direct from the royal womb: "I may not have bones yet but I'm already more important than everyone reading this."

Possible names was a popular topic of conversation, with Diana, Prince William's late mother, among the favourites.

The most excited people in Australia were probably the editors of the women's magazines, for whom news of a royal baby acted like Tuesday's Reserve Bank rate cut on Christmas shoppers.

ACP Magazines director of media and public affairs Deborah Thomas said the baby news was a "huge event" for the industry and readers.

She expected sales to soar as they did during the royal couple's wedding, when magazines "sold their socks off".

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