Queen Elizabeth not informed over PM Gough Whitlam dismissal

Sir John Kerr did not tell the Queen of his intention to dismiss then-prime minister Gough Whitlam before the historic decision on 11 November, 1975. The National Archives of Australia on Tuesday released about 200 letters between the former governor-general and the Queen about the dismissal of the Whitlam government.

National Archives of Australia Director-General David Ficker speaks during the Kerr Palace Letters release event in Canberra, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Source: (AAP Image/Lukas Coch