Australia maintains a formal and sentimental connection to the British Monarchy as a legacy of British colonisation.
In contrast, the Caribbean Island of Barbados removed the British monarch as head of state and became a republic in November 2021.
The passing of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96, on 8 September 2022 raises the question of:
What is the role of the British monarchy in contemporary Australia?
Australia’s ties with the British Monarchy are the legacy of British colonisation.
Campbell Rhodes is a researcher with the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra.
“Australia was founded as a colony of Great Britain and so it has borrowed or adapted many British traditions, including in the government. And one of those is the monarchy.”
So, the King or Queen of the United Kingdom is also the Head of State of Australia.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was queen of the UK and 14 Commonwealth realms since her reign began in February 1952.
Elizabeth II served as the longest serving monarch in British history. With her death, her son Charles became king. He has begun his reign as King Charles III.
All countries of the Commonwealth are sovereign nations with their own laws and their own governments.
Our government’s structure and powers are outlined by the Australian Constitution, explains Sandy Biar, National Director of the Australian Republic Movement (ARM).
“Australia has a written constitution and it’s a law that governs all other laws, and the most senior person in that Constitution is the Queen or King of the United Kingdom. That person’s called our Head of State. And because our Head of State lives on the other side of the world they appoint a representative to Australia who acts on their behalf, who is called the Governor General.”
As our monarch, King Charles III is Australia’s Head of State. Therefore, we refer to Australia as a ‘constitutional monarchy’, says Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University.
“The Head of State is in a sense a ceremonial position. They don’t have executive power, whereas it’s the head of the government that has the executive power. So there’s a division between the symbolic Head of State that stands for the unity of the country, and the head of the government which is open to competition.”
The King is represented in Australia by the Governor General in Canberra and by a Governor in each of the state capitals.
The monarch is not directly involved in the day-to-day running of Australia, and no longer has direct influence on Australia’s society, economy or government, says Campbell Rhodes.
“But does take an interest and is very well briefed on Australian matters. These days she acts very much as an advisor and a confidant of Prime Ministers rather than anyone with direct influence.”
The Governor General is appointed by the queen or king on the advice of the Australian government. In effect they serve as the crown’s deputy in Australia, always acting on the advice of the elected government in the name of the monarch.
“Once upon a time they were appointed by the British government, but over time we have changed that and evolved so now the Australian government makes the appointment. It is simply a matter of the government or the cabinet choosing the person that they want, which often means the Prime Minister choosing the person that they want, and then the Queen will approve the appointment. Usually for five years but often that term will get extended.”
Like the Monarch, the Governor General isn’t involved in the day-to-day running of government, says Sandy Biar.
“But they do have important responsibilities. Every time a law is passed by Parliament, every time we want to go to an election, it needs the representative’s approval.”
In 1986 the Australia Act severed the last of the official links between the British and Australian governments, with the exception of the Monarch.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, a number of British colonies have sought independence and severed their ties with the monarchy. The latest was Barbados in November, with 15 Commonwealth realms remaining.
Many people feel that Australia already projects the spirit of a republic. Sandy Biar from the Australian Republic Movement is pushing for change.
“The Australian Republic Movement believes that instead of having the king or queen of the United Kingdom as the head of our country, that we should have an Australian chosen by Australians. And we believe this because it makes sense that all decisions in an independent country like ours are made democratically and that our representatives put Australia’s interests first.”
Also, for the first time in Australia the current Labour government appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as an assistant minister for the republic.
Sentimentality towards the British monarchy is also changing, says Judith Brett. With a crowded field of celebrities visiting Australia, even the fervour surrounding royal visits is less intense than in past decades.
“I think in the early 1950s when feeling for the monarchy was very high – when the young Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited – it was in the context of being immediately after the war and the depression, and they were like global celebrities. Whereas now with much more frequent air travel it doesn’t have the same impact.”
If Australia were to become a republic, we could elect to remain part of the Commonwealth. India has done just this, for example.
So, what would a republic look like? Sandy Biar and the Australian Republic Movement have tried to answer this question.
So, we’ve been consulting the broader Australian public about what that would look like, and we will have an announcement on that in the coming months.”
The ARM announced The Australian Choice Model in January 2022. It describes what changes need to be made to the Australian Constitution so that the Head of State is elected by the Australian people.
