A royal send-off? Activists playfully dub King Charles’ visit to Australia the monarchy’s ‘Farewell Tour’

SYDNEY, Oct 14 — The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) has initiated a campaign branding King Charles’s upcoming visit to Australia as the “farewell tour” of the British monarchy.

This tongue-in-cheek effort, which includes a line of merchandise, aims to spark debate regarding the Crown’s role in contemporary Australia, the BBC reported today.

However, some monarchists have deemed the campaign offensive.

Scheduled from October 18 to 26, King Charles’ visit marks the first royal trip to Australia in over a decade and is his longest engagement since his cancer diagnosis.

The visit also follows last year’s unsuccessful Voice to Parliament vote, which has hindered momentum for another referendum.

Referendums are the only means of altering Australia’s constitution, and historically, they have an 80 per cent failure rate.

The nation previously held a referendum on becoming a republic in 1999, which did not succeed. Despite this, support for a republic has grown in recent years.

The ARM’s campaign features satirical posters, T-shirts, beer coasters, and other merchandise, portraying the King, Queen, and Prince of Wales as ageing rock stars and encouraging Australians to “wave goodbye to royal reign.”

Co-Chair Esther Anatolitis told the BBC, “We expect a full-time, fully committed head of state whose only allegiance is to us — a unifying symbol at home and abroad.”

“It’s time for Australia to say ‘thanks, but we’ve got it from here,’” she added.

The organisation cites research suggesting that 92 per cent of Australians either support a republic or are open to the idea.

Interestingly, at least 40 per cent of surveyed individuals were unaware that Australia’s head of state is a foreign monarch.

However, independent polling presents a different perspective, indicating that around 35 per cent of the population prefers to remain a constitutional monarchy.

According to the BBC, the Australian Monarchist League (AML) has dismissed the ARM’s polling as “inflated” and described the campaign as “terribly disrespectful” to Charles, especially given his ongoing health issues.

National Chairman Philip Benwell stated, “He should be applauded for his bravery, not insulted.”

While Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has long been a proponent of republicanism, his government has put plans for a vote to break away from the British monarchy on hold, deeming it a non-priority.