King Charles’ risky move in face of “farewell tour” campaign

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are preparing to visit Australia this week in the face of efforts by anti-monarchy campaigners to rebrand it as a “farewell tour” before they wave goodbye to his reign.

Charles has been under pressure to visit countries around the world that recognize him as their king since his succession to the throne in September 2022.

And the prospect has always been an awkward one, thanks to growing movements in many of those countries to break with the monarchy and become republics with democratically elected heads of state.

However, two years on from the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the absence of a royal visit Down Under was becoming an increasingly hot topic.

The king opted to go ahead, despite his cancer diagnosis earlier in 2024, and now runs the risk that it serves as a catalyst for Republicans who are campaigning against his arrival under the slogan: “Wave Goodbye to Royal Reign with Monarchy: The Farewell Oz Tour.”

Dr. George Gross, who founded the British Coronations Project at King’s College London, told Newsweek that the costs of not going might be greater than the embarrassment of the protests.

“If you don’t make these visits, what does that say?” Gross said. “It’s what the majority think that’s crucial, and the majority don’t get reported, unless there’s a poll, and even that is only a sample.

“If you don’t make a visit, eventually that majority say, ‘These people seem a very long way away; they’re very disconnected,'” Gross said.

“If you don’t make the visit, that’s more significant than making it. In terms of the public noise, there’s always risk. There’s risk in any of these things, but there’s greater risk in not making it.”

Republican sentiment has been on the rise in Australia, but there are signs the monarchist contingent there is not dwindling.

Polling by YouGov in 2023, one year into Charles’ reign, showed support for Australia becoming a republic rise from 20 percent to 32 percent but still lag a few points behind remaining a constitutional monarch, which stood at 35 percent.

More-recent polls have painted a confused picture, with the Australian Republican Movement pointing to data they say shows 92 percent are open to breaking with the monarchy.

At the same time, the Australian Monarchist League points to data collected by News Corps’ Pulse of Australia platform, which suggested 45 percent of the country oppose becoming a republic, while 33 percent were in favor.

Philip Benwell, AML national chairman, praised the king in a statement for making the trip, despite his cancer treatment: “He should be applauded for his bravery, not insulted by these Australian and British Republicans.”

Meanwhile, Esther Anatolitis, co-chair of ARM, said in a statement: “Australians all over the continent tell us they’re keen to see a warm, positive conversation about the future of the monarchy in Australia, seeing this visit as the last tour of a king and queen of Australia. It’s time for Australia to say ‘thanks, but we’ve got it from here.’

“Australians are a richly diverse people who take pride in our democratic institutions,” Anatolitis said. “We expect a full-time, fully committed head of state whose only allegiance is to us—a unifying symbol at home and abroad.”

Gross said: “In some ways, it’s healthy that there is a discussion; it’s not the Chinese president going somewhere, and there’s no dissent, or Vladimir Putin or anything like that. Australia’s a democracy; it’s healthy that debate can happen.”

Gross added that he believed the key issues underpinning the tour, from climate change to global security, would shine through, despite the debate.

Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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