As King Charles III arrives in Australia for a brief stopover on his way to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, the visit has been met with a lukewarm public response. Unlike past royal tours that attracted large crowds and widespread media attention, public interest appears to be fading this time. What’s more, as in the United Kingdom, the king’s presence is being greeted by organized protests from republican groups, highlighting growing discontent with monarchy both at home and abroad.
Among the voices leading the protests is Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, a UK-based campaign group that has been advocating for the abolition of the monarchy. Smith, who is also a dual citizen of both the UK and Australia, has been a vocal critic of King Charles since his ascension to the throne two years ago. His organization has become synonymous with anti-monarchy protests, and ir familiar yellow banners and chants of “Not My King!” have accompanied major royal events across the UK. Now, Smith and Republic are taking their message global, using King Charles’s Australian visit as an opportunity to remind the world that monarchy is far from universally beloved.
“We’re not here to campaign for an Australian republic specifically,” said Smith, addressing a small group of protesters. “But we are here to challenge the idea that monarchy is respected and revered wherever it goes. Reality is, wherever Charles goes, he’s likely to be a protest—just like William and Kate faced during their Caribbean tour in 2022.”
Smith is quick to acknowledge that Australia’s republican movement is already well-established, with organizations such as the Australian Republic Movement and Labor for the Australian Republic leading the charge. However, he believes his protests send a message to Australians who view monarchy as harmless or irrelevant: “monarchy isn’t good for anything or anyone. It is not dignified and it deserves condemnation, not respect.”
In the UK, the monarchy is facing a similar decline in public support. A poll taken before King Charles’s coronation earlier this year showed that only 9% of the British population expressed excitement about the event. Smith attributes this to a growing awareness of the monarchy’s financial cost to taxpayers, which the Republic has estimated at £510 million annually. A recent coronation was said to have cost around £250 million, at a time when the UK is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis and government-imposed austerity measures.
For Australians, Smith’s message is clear: the institution of monarchy may seem distant and ceremonial, but it comes with real consequences. Royal family’s influence and financial demands stretch across the Commonwealth, and Smith argues that it’s only a matter of time before Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are asked to help foot the bill. “If Australians were asked to contribute A$250 million annually to the cost of monarchy, I suspect push for a republic would gain momentum very quickly,” he noted.
Campaign against the monarchy is not just about finances, however. Smith believes the institution represents a deeper problem in the governance of the UK, where it consolidates power within an unelected office, perpetuating a system that stands in contrast to modern democratic values. Monarchy, Smith argues, is an unaccountable institution that wields influence at the highest levels of government, while also benefiting from secrecy and exemptions from key legal protections such as environmental and race discrimination laws.
Smith’s campaign has found traction in the UK, where support for the monarchy has seen a sharp decline since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Polling suggests that fewer than half of the UK population now firmly supports monarchy, a marked drop from high approval ratings seen during the late Queen’s reign. Meanwhile, support for a UK republic has grown to around a third of the population, with many more undecided. Scandals involving Prince Andrew and fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from royal duties have only further tarnished the royal family’s image.
For Australia, the question of republicanism has long simmered beneath the surface. While a 1999 referendum to abolish monarchy was defeated, the idea has never fully gone away. As more Commonwealth nations move toward becoming republics, conversation in Australia is likely to reignite. According to Smith, it’s no longer a question of “if” Australia will become a republic, but “when.”
“Australia is a proud and independent nation,” he said, “yet it continues to cling to a distant monarchy that is increasingly irrelevant. Most Commonwealth nations are already republics, and the UK itself is slowly moving in that direction. The question now is, will the UK be first, and what will that mean for Australia?”
King Charles’s visit may have been planned as a routine royal engagement, but for Republicans in both the UK and Australia, it serves as a reminder that the future of the monarchy is far from guaranteed. As protests continue to accompany royal tours and public sentiment shifts, the era of unquestioned royal deference is coming to an end.
Conclusion:
As King Charles III tours Australia, the lack of enthusiasm among the public and the presence of anti-monarchy protests reflect growing republican sentiment both in Australia and the UK. With financial costs, scandals, and democratic values at stake, the debate over the monarchy’s future is set to intensify, posing significant questions for the Commonwealth’s remaining monarchies.
