Prince Charles, now King Charles III, has a special connection to Australia due to his six-month stay at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus in 1966, which he describes as the best part of his education. He has visited Australia 16 times before and views the country with a sense of debt and gratitude. His upcoming visit as king marks a significant moment as he is the first male British sovereign to set foot on Australian soil. Despite his past experiences in Australia, including being kissed by a model on a beach and falling from a horse, he arrives as a familiar face but in a new role as king.
Recent polling in Australia shows that one in four Australians have a more favorable view of Charles now that he is king, suggesting that sentiment towards the monarchy remains strong. While one-third of respondents think Australia should become a republic, 45 percent believe it should remain a monarchy. The federal government, however, has indicated that there are no immediate plans to hold a referendum on the republic issue, with Trade Minister Don Farrell stating that the issue is not a priority for the current government. Despite some republican groups pushing for change, the momentum for a republic seems to have slowed.
Charles’s determination to continue with his tour of Australia, despite his recent cancer diagnosis and treatment, highlights his commitment to strengthening ties between the UK and Australia. This visit serves as an opportunity for him to connect with the people of Australia as their king and to reinforce the historical and cultural links between the two countries. The tour is also significant as it is the first official overseas visit for King Charles III since his coronation, and the first visit by a reigning monarch to Australia since 2011.
Dr. George Gross, a royal historian, notes that Charles’s visit to Australia has a touch of sentimentality, echoing his late mother Queen Elizabeth II’s tour following her 1953 coronation. Charles’s decision to push ahead with the tour also underscores the importance of the Indo-Pacific region geopolitically. Despite potential snubs from state premiers or past experiences of being called names as a student, Charles has maintained a positive attitude towards Australia, viewing his earlier experiences as character-building. His upcoming visit as king is seen as an opportunity to further strengthen the close ties between Australia and the UK.
Overall, Prince Charles’s upcoming visit to Australia as King Charles III carries historical significance as he becomes the first male British sovereign to visit the country. Despite ongoing debates about the republic issue, recent polling shows a continued support for the monarchy, with one in four Australians holding a more favorable view of Charles as king. His determination to continue the tour, even after his cancer diagnosis, highlights his commitment to strengthening ties between the UK and Australia. The visit is seen as an opportunity to further cement the historical, cultural, and geopolitical connections between the two nations, and as a chance for Charles to connect with the Australian people in his new role as king.
