King Charles Begins Low-Key Australia Tour Today

AFP/APP

Sydney: On the eve of King Charles III’s landmark tour Down Under, many of his antipodean subjects seem unaware or uninterested a reflection, experts say, of a more diverse and less Anglo-centric Australia.

There is no red-white-and-blue bunting around Sydney Harbour, no posters on the city’s streets, and aside from the passionate cries of monarchists and republicans, little discussion about the first visit of a reigning Australian monarch in 13 years.

“I’d forgotten they were even coming,” remarked 73-year-old Sydneysider Trevor Reeves, capturing the general sentiment in Australia’s largest city.

The six-day royal visit to Sydney and Canberra will undoubtedly bring pomp, ceremony, and substantial media coverage. Despite the visit being scaled back due to Charles’ cancer diagnosis, there will still be grand gatherings, including an event at the Opera House and a sprawling community barbecue.

However, few expect Charles and Camilla’s visit to rival the excitement of previous nation-stopping royal visits, such as Charles and Diana’s 1983 trip. Today, Australians seem more preoccupied with events like the war in the Middle East, the US election, or another group of British visitors—rock band Oasis—who are set to tour next year.

“I’m not excited, but I don’t begrudge them coming out,” said 72-year-old Susanne Lowire. She likened the royals to celebrities like the Gallagher brothers of Oasis, saying, “Some people just love it as they love movie stars.

Are they going to fight again? Do they sound terrible? It’s the same with the king and the queen coming over.”

University of Sydney historian Cindy McCreery believes the subdued response to the royal visit is understandable, given concerns over war, climate change, and the cost of living. “We live in a complex moment with all the global issues,” she said, adding that it is “natural to expect a more varied response to the monarchy.”

Decades-long demographic trends are also influencing perceptions. According to the 2021 census, about 36 percent of Australians identify as “English,” the country’s largest ancestry group.

This figure was 10 points higher in 1986 when the question was first asked. Today, about a third of Australians were born overseas, and the population is steadily becoming more Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Indian, or Chinese.

“That impacts how Australians connect or do not connect,” McCreery explained. “In previous royal visits, people may have had a stronger connection to Britain, but a growing number of people may not necessarily have that immediate connection.”

Polls show that about a third of Australians would like to abandon the monarchy, a third would keep it, and a third are indifferent. As a result, no sweeping constitutional changes are expected, leaving the issue politically stagnant.

While Australia voted against becoming a republic in 1999, the movement remains active but in political limbo. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a lifelong republican, even created a ministerial position for the republic when he took office.

However, the post was quietly scrapped earlier this year, and after losing a referendum on Indigenous rights, Albanese has ruled out taking the issue of the monarchy to voters again anytime soon.