At a Sydney mansion on the Queen's Birthday long weekend, some of Her Majesty's most loyal Australian subjects criticised what they called the republican "elites".
They had gathered to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee and belted out a rendition of God Save the Queen, as they reflected on the monarch's 70 years on the throne.
But the election of the Albanese government somewhat hung over the room.
The Prime Minister's appointment of Matt Thistlethwaite as the Assistant Minister for a Republic had alarmed the old guard of the Australian Monarchist League.
Some in the group labelled the decision as the "first shot" in what might be a long journey towards a second republic referendum.
In preparation for the possibility of a campaign, high-profile conservative helpers have been called in to rally the faithful to the cause.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott, a man whose political downfall was sparked in part by awarding Prince Philip a knighthood on Australia Day in 2015, attended the event.
"I think all of us should be loyal to the Constitution … and particularly at a time like this, be happy to say God Save the Queen," he told 7.30.
"We have a very, very good system of government."
Recently defeated Liberal Senator Eric Abetz is also on board.
"There are certain elites that talk about [a republic] all the time, promote it all the time," he said.
So, too, is the Opposition's new Shadow Attorney-General, Julian Leeser, a long-time monarchist who pledged to take the fight to the Coalition's inner sanctum.
"I regard myself as the shadow cabinet minister for the constitution," he announced, to loud applause.
"I will be defending our constitution against the republican incursions."
Some monarchists believe their cause could be most vulnerable in the years after Prince Charles becomes king.
While the Royal Family is receiving positive media coverage due to events like the Platinum Jubilee, they're urging supporters to vigorously start making the case for keeping Australia's connections to the Crown.
Ideally, they want to convince Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to create a shadow portfolio dedicated to advocating for Australia's constitution to "level the playing field."
"We … anticipate a drawn-out campaign led by the minister, Matt Thistlethwaite, in which he will promote a republic with the full backing of the government and with all expenses paid for by the taxpayer," said Philip Benwell, the head of the Australian Monarchist League.
"How can a not-for-profit organisation … compete? It is truly a Goliath versus David situation."
New Assistant Minister wants taxpayer resources behind republic push
Monarchists claim the federal government wants to steadily lay much of the groundwork required for a second referendum before the Queen dies.
They believe once her son takes over and a respectful period of mourning has passed, a republic will become a much bigger priority for the Prime Minister.
Publicly, senior figures in Labor stress a referendum is only likely if the government wins a second or even third term.
Privately, though, some in the government concede the Monarchist League's theory is probably accurate.
A few say the new Assistant Minister is a card the Prime Minister can keep in his back pocket and pull out once the time is right.
"This isn't a first-term priority for the government; a Voice to Parliament is.
"But I'm hopeful we can move on to a discussion about a republic in a second, and hopefully third term of a Labor government.
"We think it is time that we once again explain to the Australian people that we do have a foreign monarch as our Head of State."
The Assistant Minister has vocally pushed for a republic since his first speech to parliament in 2013.
His language, particularly the term "foreign monarch", infuriates Her Majesty's supporters.
But it is his access to taxpayer resources that has them most worried.
Mr Thistlethwaite initially plans to "start a discussion" around a republic on his own and is offering to meet with all lobby groups.
But he eventually hopes to fund public education campaigns, and over time will look at setting up a team within the Attorney-General's department.
The government wants to avoid the division that was exploited during the failed 1999 referendum and use the coming years to steadily build consensus on a model for a republic.
"I think you've got a generation of politicians who were involved in this campaign in the 1990s, but in many respects I think Australia has moved on," Mr Thistlethwaite said.
"That's a symbol of how outdated our constitution is, and the need for reform."
Campaigns targeting young Australians and the undecided
Although a republic hasn't been seriously on the agenda for more than two decades, there are several surveys that indicate what Australians think about the topic.
During the federal election, the ABC's Vote Compass data suggested a slim majority of Australians are not supportive of Prince Charles becoming King.
It also appears about 43 per cent of people want to cut ties with the monarchy, which was an increase compared with 2019.
But about a quarter of Australians say they are "neutral" on the topic.
Both monarchists and republicans are already starting to target those people, as well as younger Australians in their 20s and 30s who don't have strong memories of the first referendum.
"Many young people, like me, aren't aware that the monarchy is the head of state in Australia," said Tristan Layton, who is part of the Australian Republic Movement.
But monarchists claim the grandeur and magic of the Royal Family appeals to the nation's youth.
They want to convince more institutions, media outlets and politicians to remind Australians of the Crown's history here.
"We are ready, we do have a strong social media presence at the moment," said Jeremy Mann, a young member of the Australian Monarchist League.
"The republic is for politicians, it's a choice for politicians, made by politicians to put their mates in the top job."
If Labor is serious, a republic would be handled by the PM: Abbott
When Bill Shorten was Opposition Leader, Labor was committed to a republic vote in its first term.
It quietly backed away from that pledge in the past term of parliament.
Even though he is only part of the outer ministry, Mr Thistlethwaite believes he is the right person to pursue the issue, given his long-running advocacy for a republic.
But Tony Abbott is trying to play down some of his monarchist colleagues' concerns and believes talk of a referendum might not amount to anything.
"If [Labor] were serious about becoming a republic any time soon this wouldn't be handled by someone who's a very junior member of the outer ministry," he said.
"It would be handled by the Prime Minister himself.
"When anything happens, people like me will certainly be arguing very, very strongly that we've got a good system of government, and why change it?"
Watch this story on 7.30 tonight on ABC TV and ABC iview.
