Key Points
- The King of the United Kingdom is also the Head of State of Australia.
- All countries of the Commonwealth are sovereign nations.
- The King is not directly involved in the day-to-day running of Australia.
- The Australian Republic Movement believes that Australians should choose their own head of state.
“Australia was founded as a colony of Great Britain and so it has borrowed or adapted many British traditions,” says Campbell Rhodes, researcher with the Museum of Australian Democracy. “And one of those is the monarchy,” so the King 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 was 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 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 – 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 – the Governor General.”
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her son Charles became King. He has begun his reign as King Charles III. Credit: Carl Court/AP/AAP Image
Our monarch is Head of State, so Australia is referred to as a ‘constitutional monarchy’.
Our Head of State is effectively a ceremonial position, says Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University.
“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 not directly involved in the day-to-day running of Australia, and no longer has direct influence on the country’s society, economy, or government.
He does however remain very well briefed on Australian matters and can acts as an advisor and confidant to the Prime Minister.
What is the role of the Governor General?
King Charles III is represented in Australia by the Governor General in Canberra and by a Governor in each of the state capitals.
The Governor General is appointed by the queen or king on the advice of the Australian government. Our current Governor General is His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley.
Like the King, the Governor General is not involved in the day-to-day running of government, but does have important responsibilities, says Sandy Biar.
Every time a law is passed by Parliament, or we go to an election, it needs the... [King’s] representative’s approval.Sandy Biar, National Director of the Australian Republic Movement.
The monarch’s representative also signs off the Prime Minister in Australia “who is usually, but not always, from the party that’s won the most seats in Parliament at the last election”.
Queen Elizabeth II watches Tjapukai Aboriginal ceremonial fire performance near Cairns, 2002. Credit: Torsten Blackwood/AFP via Getty Images
Cutting the ties
In 1986 the Australia Act severed the last of the official links between the British and Australian governments, with the exception of the monarch.
Many British colonies have cut their ties with the monarchy, with Barbados the most recent. Fifteen Commonwealth realms remain.
Also, for the first time in Australia the current Labor government appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as an assistant minister for the republic.
Increasingly, Australians often feel that we already project the spirit of a republic. Sandy Biar and the ARM continue to push for change.
The Australian Republic Movement believes that instead of having the king or queen of the UK as the head of our country, that we should have an Australian chosen by Australians.Sandy Biar of ARM
"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,” Sandy Biar adds.
Sentimentality towards the British monarchy is also shifting, says Judith Brett.
The frequency of celebrity travel has resulted in less fervour around royal visits to Australia than in past decades.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Taronga Zoo, Sydney during their official 2014 tour to New Zealand and Australia Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Images via Getty Images
As republican movements take root in several Commonwealth nations, King Charles III recently acknowledged the change, during the opening of a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda and said the Commonwealth — which represents one-third of humanity — would always be "a free association of independent, self-governing nations".
"I want to say clearly, as I have said before, that each member's constitutional arrangement, as republic or monarchy, is purely a matter for each member country to decide," he told an audience of presidents and prime ministers.
Over the past year the ARM has consulted more than 8,000 Australians to understand what an Australian republic may look like and announced 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.
