SYDNEY (Reuters) - When Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives in Australia next week, protocol says she should be addressed as Queen of Australia -- something that will grate with republicans who want to sever ties with Britain and appoint an Australian president.Read the rest here.
The royal tour, possibly the queen's last to Australia given her 85 years and the long distance from Buckingham Palace, will reignite debate on whether the nation should become a republic.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch its head of state who acts in predominately a ceremonial manner but has the power to approve the abolition of parliament, which happened in 1975 toppling the then government.
But republicans concede any debate will be short lived and their dream of an Australian republic and president will remain just that -- for many years to come.
Time, politics and apathy have all conspired against Australia's republicans. And republicans know there is no appetite to put the issue back on the national agenda.
An opinion poll this week revealed support for the monarchy had risen to 55 percent of the population, while support for a republic was at its lowest level in 23 years at 34 percent.
The first upbeat news story I have read in days. May the republican's misery be multiplied and their daughters grow up to look like Phyllis Diller.
God Save The Queen!
2 comments:
You're both being petty. I'm a republican (and I don't deserve the Diller facelift), but I'd cut her slack. She's a nice old lady who's never beheaded anyone. She makes a nice portrait, she's simultaneously Anglican and Presbyterian, and her exotic etiquette outs the Wash DC clodhoppers who try to shake her hand.
Very Good news. I was at the Great Aussie BBQ with over 100,000 other Western Australians all there to get just a glimpse of the Queen. It was all age groups and all kinds of ethnic groups. The republic idea was of no interest to most of Australia- we love our Queen and the magic that goes with it. Also constitutional monarchy has proved to be the most stable form of government and one that puts the politicians in their place.
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