King Charles’ recent visit to Australia in October upset some WA royalists, as the monarch skipped Western Australia on his itinerary.

His decision to skip WA during his visit has sparked fresh debate and frustration among supporters and opponents of the monarchy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in 2022 brought hope for Republican supporters after he appointed an Assistant Minister for the Republic, Matt Thistlethwaite.

Australian Republican Movement treasurer and Queensland Convenor Isaac McSwan said his organisation understood that the King had to lighten his schedule due to his cancer diagnosis, so not visiting every state was part of a broader issue.

But he added: “We believe we should have a head of state who is able to visit every single state and territory, and not once in a blue moon, once every few years.”

Map showing the States and Territories visited and not visited by King Charles in 2024.

“The idea that there is a foreign king with a foreign family ruling over our country is quite ludicrous.”

He added that he thought most of the public would be open to the idea of a Republic.

A poll conducted by Pure Profile between April 6–12, 2023, found that almost two-thirds of respondents felt that King Charles does not represent their values.

Australian Republic Movement. Values poll. Australian Republic Movement. https://republic.org.au/media/valuespoll

More recently, a January 2024 poll by Essential Research revealed that 42 per cent of Australians now support becoming a republic, with 35 per cent opposed and 23 per cent undecided.

Essential Report.Support for Australia becoming a republic. Essential Report. https://essentialreport.com.au/questions/support-for-australia-becoming-a-republic-3

Australia Monarchist League was founded in 1993 and member Patrick Kenny advocates for the retention of Australia’s constitutional monarchy.

Asked about the Royal visit he said: “It is disappointing, but we have got to remember, this is a very elderly man who has got cancer at the moment. So, the fact that he is coming to Australia is amazing.”

When asked about the possibility of another referendum the future Patrick said: “I do not really think a referendum would achieve much because there’s not much political sway to change our system.”

In 1999, a national referendum saw 54 per cent of Australians vote against becoming a republic, but opinions have shifted in recent years.

Australian Electoral Commission. 1999 Referendum reports and statistics. Australian Electoral Commission. https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/referendums/1999_Referendum_Reports_Statistics/

One of Australia’s most prominent constitutional monarchists and the National Convenor for Australia’s constitutional monarchist, David Flint, said: “You change your constitution for very serious reasons, and I think the only reason we would change the constitution, which has been in place for so long, would be to improve that part of the constitution.”

Asked why he thinks governments since 1999 have failed to call another referendum, he said: “I suspect because they know that a second referendum has no more chance than the first referendum.”

He went on to add: “They’d be much better putting their attention to doing the things which are necessary for Australia, rather than wasting time.”

Constitutional lawyer Michael Rynn said on the legal standpoint of Australia becoming a republic: “Becoming a republic is difficult. Success or failure will depend upon the wording that the referendum puts forward for acceptance or rejection by the public.”

A recent letter King Charles sent to the Australian Republicans; seems to suggest he will listen to the public’s opinion on this matter. A spokesman of the King, Dr Nathan Ross, wrote in a public letter: “Australia becoming a republic is a matter of the Australian people to decide.”