King Charles and Camilla face humiliating snub at start of Royal tour of Australia
Despite being invited to the reception in Canberra on October 21, not a single State Premier will be present to welcome Charles and Camilla
by Russell Myers, https://podfollow.com/pod-save-the-king, William Morgan · Daily RecordThe King has been snubbed by Australia's top politicians, who have turned down the chance to meet him in Canberra next week. Charles and Camilla are gearing up for a nine-day Australian tour starting this Friday, with plans to attend events that bolster community ties and highlight their key interests, including environmental efforts and support for domestic violence charities.
Despite invitations being sent out, not one State Premier will greet the Royal pair at a reception in Canberra on October 21. The King is set to deliver a speech at the gathering, which will be attended by political figures, community leaders, and prominent Australians recognised for their achievements in fields such as the arts, culture, sports, and health.
Victoria's Premier Jacinta Allan has become the latest to decline the invitation to receive the Royal couple. Bev McArthur, representing the pro-royal Australian Monarchists League, has condemned the move as a "slap in the face" to the monarchy.
"All premiers and ministers have sworn allegiance to our monarch, Charles III, and it is a monumental insult that they now spit in his hand extended in friendship," she expressed to the Herald Sun. "This is a historic opportunity to unite Australia, to focus on charitable work and to give back to communities. Yet our immature politicians are clearly choosing to play politics."
A slew of explanations has come from state leaders in Australia regarding their non-attendance at a prime event during King Charles' visit. Queensland's Steven Miles claims election campaign duties, as reported by the Mirror.
Western Australia's figurehead Roger Cook had an aide mention "other commitments", while Peter Malinauskas of South Australia and Chris Minns from New South Wales cited pre-existing arrangements, though Minns intends to be present at different gatherings with His Majesty.
Over in Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff will be engaged in a US trade trip, whereas Victoria's Ben Carroll has tasked Nick Staikos, a parliamentary secretary, to stand in for him in what seems to be a widespread brush-off of the Crown.
Amid these happenings, new polls publicised suggest that Australian support for becoming a republic is waning even more since King Charles took the throne, with levels sagging below those recorded at the 1999 referendum. NewsCorp's Pulse of Australia poll results now show only 33 per cent favouring a republican move as opposed to the earlier 39.4 per cent who wanted to get rid of the monarchy.
Royal insiders have slammed the recent developments as "deeply unprofessional", yet they are optimistic that it won't affect the upcoming tour. A source shared their enthusiasm about the trip, saying: "The King and Queen are incredibly excited to visit Australia and Samoa and are very much looking forward to getting out and meeting as many people as possible during their visit."
Despite his health challenges, the King has been unwavering in his commitment to his cancer treatments, gearing up with determination for his international tour. King Charles III, who was diagnosed with cancer in February, has been faithfully following his treatment plan in London, and Royal doctors have now given him the green light to pause the weekly treatments while he is on tour overseas.
This Australian sojourn will be the monarch's 17th visit to the country, and his first to one of his 14 realms since he ascended the throne in September 2022.
In the midst of political debates, Brad Rowswell, a Liberal Party opposition member in Victoria, has revealed that he urged Ms Allan back in May not to downplay the importance of the Royal couple's visit, highlighting the need for leadership to sometimes put personal views aside for the greater good.
As the King embarks on his visit to Australia, it's been made known that, breaking from years of staying neutral on independence issues, he has signalled to Australian republicanism supporters that he would retain impartiality should there be a move to oust him as the head of state. In communications with the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) ahead of their tour, the palace relayed the message that the decision was one for Australians to make.
In other news, the State Leader stands accused by Mr Rowswell of serious errors in judgement, especially concerning Victoria's withdrawn commitment to hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which leaves a significant financial burden for taxpayers as alternative venues are hastily sought and uncertainty looms over the event's future.
Speaking out strongly in the Herald Sun, Mr Rowswell stated: "Sometimes, leadership requires putting personal prejudice aside in the interests of the greater good."
He further criticised Premier Allan's delegation choices to meet with King Charles remarking, "Premier Allan represents a state that wholeheartedly embraces and supports King Charles as our head of state. Sending a junior Labor MP to represent the Premier on this occasion doesn't pass the Pimm's test."
"The decent and respectful thing to do would be to jump on a plane and give King Charles a warm Victorian welcome, or is she just too embarrassed to do so after her Commonwealth Games debacle? ".
The response from Buckingham Palace on these matters is pending.
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