Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Graham Smith

Would Australia pay the billion-dollar annual cost of our monarchy? No? Neither should the UK

King Charles in the gold state coach
‘The monarchy isn’t good for anything or anyone, it is not dignified and deserves condemnation, not respect.’ Photograph: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Rejoice! Australia’s absentee head of state is stopping over for a few days on his way to the Commonwealth meeting in Samoa. Yet as is often the case with royal visits these days, there seems to be little public interest. And, as in the UK, this royal visit will be met by protest from republicans.

The campaign group Republic, of which I’m CEO, has been protesting at royal events since Charles took to the throne two years ago. Every major royal event in the UK is now greeted by our yellow banners and flags and chants of “Not My King!” So when the palace announced Charles’s trip to Australia earlier this year I decided we should probably follow him and continue to make our views heard loud and clear.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.