These are troubled times, but I guess monarchists have something to say and something to offer as a possible solution for many problems that shake the world. That's why I call myself "radical royalist" because I am unashamedly in favour of a monarchy - anywhere!
Omnis regis fautor sum: Regalis nihil mihi alienum est
Showing posts with label Queen's Birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen's Birthday. Show all posts
On 21st April 2019, Her Majesty the Queen will celebrate her 93rd birthday.
While 21st April marks the Queen’s actual birthday, King George II established the tradition, in 1748, of the monarch’s birthday being publicly observed on the second Saturday of June. Wanting a public celebration of his birthday, the King, who was born in November, decreed the monarch’s birthday would be celebrated in summer and would coincide with a military parade.
The Queen’s birthday on 21st April is marked by midday gun salutes, but otherwise the occasion usually comprises a more intimate family gathering. This is in contrast to the public celebration each June, the centrepiece of which is the spectacular Trooping of the Colours, a parade involving more than 1,400 guards from the Household Division of the British Army, many of whom are mounted.
The stamps in this year’s annual Queen’s Birthday stamp issue show Her Majesty at two recent public events. The photograph in the $1 design was taken during a visit to Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex, in late 2017.
In the $3 design, the photograph shows the Queen as she observes a Royal Air Force flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, during the air force’s centenary events in July 2018.
The Australian Queen's Birthday postage stamps mark the 92nd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with two designs that feature a floral theme.
On the domestic-rate stamp, the Queen is pictured during her 90th birthday celebrations in April 2016. The Queen was photographed arriving to open the Alexandra Gardens Bandstand, in Windsor, as part of a day of visits with Prince Philip. On the international-rate stamp, the Queen is attending a 2015 service to mark Commonwealth Day – the celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The domestic stamp also features a close-up photograph of the 'Queen Elizabeth’ (also known as ‘Queen of England’) – a tall grandiflora rose introduced in 1954. The Queen Elizabeth rose was named to recognise the Queen’s ascension to the British throne in 1952 and subsequent coronation in 1953.
In a couple of days the Queen of Australia will turn 91. The Queen’s Birthday 2017 stamp issue celebrates this incredible milestone. In the domestic base rate stamp, Australia Post shows the Queen greeting the crowd during a day of public engagements with Prince Philip. On this occasion, Her Majesty is visiting the Broadway Theatre, situated in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham.
This year will also mark the 70th anniversary of the marriage of Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth and His Royal Highness Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which took place on 20th November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, London.
The international rate stamp features Her Majesty and Prince Philip, in recognition of the longevity of their relationship. The couple are riding in the Royal Procession as part of the prestigious five-day horseracing event Royal Ascot. First introduced in 1825 by King George IV, the Royal Procession signals the beginning of each day’s racing. A royal carriage procession, headed by the Queen and Prince Philip, travels up the straight mile in a circuit, transporting the Royal family to the Royal Box. In 2013, The Queen’s own horse, Estimate, won the prestigious Gold Cup race.
The stamps are available at the Australia Post shop, which promises:
International delivery available
To all loyal Australians: A Happy Queen's Birthday Holiday!
And to all those republicans - especially in the media - who can't help it, but denounce our lady sovereign queen, well, keep on writing and publishing nasty opinion pieces and keep ignoring her 90th birthday totally (Melbourne's daily newspaper The Age manages to print not a single line on the birthday celebrations in the UK, which have been reported all over the world.)
It is sad to say it, but it gives a certain kind of satisfaction to know, that rather sooner than later The Age will no longer be printed on workdays. After 150 years it will stop being sold in newspaper shops, only The Saturday and Sunday Age will continue to be sold. However, our local newspapershop does no longer open on Sundays, which will certainly not help stabilizing the sales figures of The Age.
The Australian Monarchy will survive the printed Fairfax media. That gives an Australian Monarchist some satisfaction.
Her Majesty in the centre: Trooping the Colour to honour her 90th and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's 95th birthday.
The Queen’s Birthday 2016 stamp issue were released today, 5th April 2016. They stamps celebrate the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 21st April.
The Queen’s public 90th birthday celebrations will take place during
May and June 2016. In Australia (except Western Australia) this year Queen's Birthday public holiday will be celebrated on 13th June. The festivities will reflect Her Majesty’s interests,
which include a great love of horses and a significant involvement with
the armed forces. Events include four evenings of music, song and
dance, coinciding with the annual Windsor Horse show, and many of the
performers will represent Commonwealth countries.
Both the stamps
and the postmark for the The Queen’s Birthday 2016 stamp issue have been
designed with birthday celebrations in mind. The postmark alludes to
the birthday festivities, through the inclusion of horses as well as
graphic elements that symbolise to the pomp and ceremony of the
impending birthday celebrations.
In the domestic base
rate stamp ($1), Her Majesty is pictured attending a garden party for the Not
Forgotten Association (NFA), which is held annually to honour the
contribution of the armed forces. 2016 marks 95 years since the first
official NFA party was hosted by the Queen’s grandmother, Queen Mary. This
theme ties into the Queen’s association with the armed forces. It is
said that on the day of the NFA party, the Queen greeted every guest, so
the stamp also symbolises the Queen’s renowned work ethic. Most
importantly, the Queen is pictured looking happy and relaxed.
The
international stamp features a close‐up photograph of the brooch, which
comprises 150 white and yellow diamonds arranged to resemble a spray of
Golden Wattle, Australia’s national floral emblem, together with mimosa
leaves and tea‐tree blossoms. The brooch was designed by jeweller Paul
Schneller and commissioned by William Drummond & Co. The brooch was on public display during 2015, as part of an exhibition at the
Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. The photograph has been used with specific
permission from both Her Majesty and the Royal Collection Trust.
Introduction of the annual Queen’s Birthday stamp Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the most featured person on Australian stamps. The Queen was depicted on lower denomination definitive stamps issued between 1953 and 1971 and on all base rate definitive stamps until 1973. This was a significant shift, as the reigning monarch had been featured on these stamps for 60 years, save for the controversial and short‐lived replacement of monarch stamps with Kangaroo and Map definitive stamps issued in 1913. However, unlike in 1913, the change had more to do with developments in printing capabilities than it did with making any kind of political statement.
That said, while commemorative stamps have long been issued to mark royal occasions, such as the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 1953 and the Royal Visit in 1954, following the abolition of queen’s head definitive stamps, only two royal‐themed commemorative stamps were produced between 1973 and 1979.
In an attempt to satisfy those members of the public who wished to see more royalty on stamps, Australia Post became the only postal authority in the Commonwealth to release an annual Queen’s Birthday stamp. The Australia Post Queen’s Birthday stamp has been produced every year since 1980, although in 2002, 2003 and 2004, stamps were issued to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Queen’s accession, coronation and first Australian royal tour respectively, and in 2012 to commemorate the Queen’s diamond jubilee year. Gaining royal approval
The process of gaining approval from Her Majesty is a long one, which means that this must be factored in to the production process. Once designs are approved internally, they are sent to the Palace, via the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Queen’s Birthday stamps can only go to print once official written permission has been received from the Palace, stating that Her Majesty has approved the design.
The Queen’s Birthday 2016 stamp issue is available from 5th April 2016 online, at participating Post Offices and via mail order on 1800 331 794 while stocks last.
While the Queen's grandson, Prince Harry, touched down in Australia and will start serving with the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) from today onwards, this year's Queen's Birthday stamps have been issued.
This year marks the 89th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and Australia Post celebrates this royal milestone with the release of two stamps depicting the Queen at recent official engagements.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt said: “Australia Post has issued Queen’s birthday stamps since 1980 following a tradition that resonates with many Australians. We trust this stamp issue will be popular with collectors and followers of royal events.”
The 70 cent stamp shows Her Majesty on the occasion of her visit to the Ebony Horse Club and Community Riding Centre in Brixton in October 2013.
The $2.75 stamp depicts the Queen at Windsor Castle in April 2014, when Her Majesty met Irish President Michael D Higgins on his historic first-ever state visit to Britain by a Republic of Ireland’s head of state.
A feature product associated with the Queen’s Birthday stamp issue is a prestige booklet showcasing selected hats from the Queen’s royal hat collection. The Queen’s Hats prestige booklet will be of great interest to collectors, those interested in all things royal and of course to milliners of all ages.
A sheetlet of five $2.75 self-adhesive stamps
Other products associated with this stamp issue include a miniature sheet, first day cover, stamp pack, sheetlet of five $2.75 self-adhesive stamps and a set of two maxicards.
The Queen’s Birthday stamps and associated products are available from 7 April 2015 at participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps while stocks last.
The extraordinary event on this Queen's Birthday is the fact that The Age hasn't printed any nastiness. Usually they re-modelled one of the old rants against the Australian Monarchy and complain about the antiquated views of the local Monarchists (never about the antiquated point of views of the republicans who haven't changed a bit since they lost the referendum in 1999).
It is possible that The Age's website contains anti-monarchist rants, but who would check that website? There are more useful and more reliable sources of information on the world wide web.
While in Sydney Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark were received by NSW Governor, Dame Marie Bashir.
On this year's Queen's Birthday honours list 700 Australians have been recognised for their merits. The most prominent and only one with a damehood is The Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir, who has been appointed a Dame of the Order of Australia. She is the second woman to receive the title since knight and dames honours were reintroduced by Prime Minister Tony Abbottin March 2014. She will be retiring soon. As her successor the Queen appointed General Hurley as the 38th Governor of NSW.
The Queen appointed General Hurley as the 38th Governor of NSW.
Unfortunately another Queen's Birthday event passed nearly unnoticed: The Queen's Birthday Parade at The Royal Military College at Duntroon, which marks the Queen's Birthday with the Trooping the Colour ceremony. This Parade is a celebration of the official birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and is one of the college’s most auspicious annual events in which observers get to witness the Trooping of the Queen’s Colour. The parade was ignored by the mainstream media in Victoria (print, electronic or otherwise).
The annual Queen's Birthday Parade was held at the Royal Military College Duntroon on 7th June 2014.
The Colours of a unit or regiment embody the history, spirit and traditions to which they belong. They are highly valued, carefully guarded and treated with great respect. The custom of carrying Colours has its origin in ancient and medieval times when, during battle, warring factions carried flags bearing family badges or armorial bearings to show the positions of commanders and to serve as rallying points. Since 1751, regiments have been allowed two Colours only, the Queen's (or King's) Colour and the Regimental Colour.
Colours were first presented to the Corps of Staff Cadets in May 1927 by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, later to be King George VI, when he visited Australia for the opening of Old Parliament House. These Colours were originally laid up in St John's Church, Canberra, but returned to the College in 1989 and are now lodged in Patterson Hall, the Headquarters of the Royal Military College of Australia.
Replacement Colours were presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 17th February 1954, 27th April 1970 and 10 May 1988. The 1954 Colours are laid up in St John's Church, the 1970 Colours in the RMC Chapel and the 1988 Colours in St Paul’s Chapel at RMC.
The Queen's Colour was trooped for the first time on the Queen's Birthday Parade in 1956 and has occurred every year since then. Her Majesty presented the current Colours on 22nd October 2011.
The Queen presents new Colours (Regimental Flags) to the Australian Royal Military College at Duntroon, Canberra, on 22nd October 2011.
Australia Post is celebrating the 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II with the release of one domestic base-rate (70c) stamp and one international rate ($2.60) stamp.
"This royal milestone is being celebrated with two stamps using images of Her Majesty taken over recent years. We trust this stamp issue will be popular with collectors and followers of royal events," said Australia Post Philatelic Manager, Michael Zsolt.
In 1952, at the age of 25, Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth became Queen of Australia.
Following tradition, the official Monarch's birthday is celebrated every year in June, with the exception of Western Australia where it occurs in late September or early October. To honour the Queen's birthday in Australia an annual Trooping the Colour is held at the Royal Military College at Duntroon in the Australian Capital Territory.
The image of the Queen used on the 70 cent stamp was taken while she was viewing a parade in the West Midlands as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour of the United Kingdom in 2012. The photographer is Christopher Furlong of Getty Images.
Horse racing is one of the Queen's abiding pleasures and the photograph by Stuart Wilson used in the $2.60 cent stamp shows her at Royal Ascot in 2013.
The miniature sheet also features an image of the Queen whilst visiting Hereford Cathedral as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012. The photographer is Chris Jackson from Getty Images.
The Queen's Birthday stamps and associated products are available from 8th April 2014 at participating Australia Post retail outlets, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps while stocks last.
The Age's editorial writer must feel so relieved. The anti-monarchist editorial for today's Queen’s Birthday holiday ("abolish the Queen's Birthday's honours - and why not the holiday as well?") is done and you can always rely on the old ideas The Age had printed on previous occasions without sounding too repetitive. They did what they obviously do consider their duty. Can we now return to the more pressing issues in Australia? The audience would have expected that The Age would have given far more coverage to the issues surrounding PRISM which have a far more direct impact on our sovereignty the our Queen’s Birthday.
Long live the Queen of Australia!
Monday, 11 June 2012
Happy Queen's Birthday Holiday
Like in all previous years The Age has printed its usual anti-monarchist editorial for Queen’s Birthday holiday. “As The Age has asked before, why do we continue to mark an occasion that is an unnecessary link to Australia's colonial past?” Yes, they have asked the question many times, but they keep refusing to acknowledge the answer: Because the Australians – in their overall majority – want the Monarchy.
Interestingly enough the result of the most recent opinion poll on this question, published two days ago, never appeared in The Age, neither in the printed version nor online:
According to the Roy Morgan Research “an increased majority of Australians (58%, up 6% - the highest since July 1988) believe Australia should remain a Monarchy while a decreasing number of Australians 35% (down 2% since October 2011) believe Australia should become a republic with an elected president and 7% (down 4%) are undecided — according to a special Morgan Poll of Australians taken over two nights (June 5/6, 2012).
"Now more Australians (48%, up 5% since October 2011) also support Australia remaining as a Monarchy if Prince Charles were to be crowned King than not with 43% (down 5%) of Australians wanting a Republic with an elected President, and 9% of Australians can’t say.
"But, if Prince William were to be crowned King, a clear majority of 58%, (up 5% since October 2011) would want to continue with the Monarchy while only 34% (down 5%) of Australians would want a republic with an elected president and 8% (unchanged) of Australians can’t say.
"Analysis by voting intention shows more ALP supporters (48%) want a Republic with an elected President compared to 47% who would prefer to continue with the Monarchy. However L-NP supporters clearly favour continuing with the Monarchy (72%) and only 23% want a republic with an elected president."
The Age should start asking questions about why this has occurred instead of pushing their old and rather tired editorial policy on a disinterested Australian people. The circulation culd only benefit.
In today’s Queen’s Birthday holiday editorial The Age has written, what everybody – Monarchists or republicans alike – expected from this Melbourne daily newspaper. The author made clear that the newspaper is unwavering favouring “a” republic and despises our Monarchy. The Age did, what in an opinion piece on 27th January 2010 The Age’s associate editor, Shawn Carney, called a “hardy annual”:
“The republican question is now what used to be called in the newspaper game a 'hardy annual': a predictable, intrinsically inconsequential story that can be trotted out at the same time every year to little lasting effect.”
But what about a journalistic duty to report on the actual events? Would it not have been The Age’s duty as a quality newspaper, to publish something that is connected with this Queen’s Birthday holiday? What about a photo and a little article on the Royal Military College of Duntroon’s celebrating The Queen's Birthday with a traditional Trooping the Colour parade last Saturday? Or alternatively a photo from the Trooping the Colour event in London, also on Saturday? The Age may be a fiercely republican newspaper, but seems to forget that more than half of the Victorians voted in favour of retaining the Monarchy in the 1999 referendum. Would it not be a newspaper’s duty to publish something on what at least 50 percent of The Age’s readers love?
Swiss author Max Frisch once said: “You don’t have to lie – concealing is enough.” He was cynically referring to politicians, not to journalists, but a subscriber of The Age could get the impression that the newspaper’s political agenda is to conceal everything concerning the Monarchy that could be styled as "nice news". They conceal from their readers what does not fit into their conception of Zeitgeist.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
For Queen's Birthday: Australian Trooping the Colour, Canberra 2011
Cadets and officers from the Royal Military College of Duntroon celebrated The Queen's Birthday with a traditional Trooping the Colour parade.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
On 5th April 2011 the Australia Post issued this year's stamps to commemorate the Australian Queen's 85th birthday.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, celebrates her 85th birthday in 2011. Among the many artists who have painted Her Majesty’s portrait are Australians Brian Dunlop and Rolf Harris. The Queen sat for Brian Dunlop at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the sesquicentenary of the State of Victoria in 1984. Artist and entertainer Rolf Harris’ affectionate portrait was painted as a celebration of the Queen’s 80th birthday in 2006.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, was born at 2.40 am on 21st April 1926 in Mayfair, London, and celebrates her 85th birthday this year. Following tradition, the Australian Monarch’s birthday is celebrated every year on the first Monday in June, with the exception of Western Australia, where it occurs in late September or early October. To honour the Queen’s Birthday in Australia an annual ceremony is held at the Royal Military College at Duntroon in the Australian Capital Territory.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Two sides of one coin: Labor Day and Queen's Birthday holiday
This Monday is a public holiday in Victoria: Labor Day. It commemorates the granting of the eight-hour working day for Victorians. It also recognizes workers’ contributions towards the nation’s economy. 14th March also happens to be Commonwealth Day and the theme that has been agreed by the Queen is ‘Women as Agents of Change’. This theme will be celebrated throughout the Commonwealth during the year, with special events taking place during the week of 14th-20th March.
Reading The Age today gives you no hint of the importance of this day. This newspaper ignores the workers as it ignores the Commonwealth and the Queen on Her official birthday in June. At least the journalists did not have to write abusive editorials and other opinion pieces on workers’ rights today as they usually do against Australian Monarchists and the Australian Monarchy.
In The Age’s editor’s eyes workers aren’t even worth being mentioned, while the Queen’s constitutional role really annoys Fairfax media Ltd.
What should be Fairfax media’s next demand? Scrap the public holiday as The Age routinely suggested for Queen’s Birthday holiday. Wait for the editorial on 13th June 2011. Australians will see a repeat of the 2010 ritual. Scrap Monday's holiday: Republicans: "Workers might be looking forward to their day off on Monday, courtesy of the Queen's Birthday holiday, but republicans want it scrapped."
Already in 2009 the RadicalRoyalist proclaimed: Keep Labor Day! Nothing will change the RadicalRoyalist’s poconviction – keep Labor Day and Queen’s Birthday holiday!
The Princess Royal meets staff of the Western Riverside Waste Authority Materials Recycling Facility at Smuggler’s Way, Wandsworth, London, 10th March 2011.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Queen's Birthday in Australia
This Monday is a public holiday to celebrate our Monarch. The Age seems to have resigned to the fact that Australia enjoys the Constitutional Monarchy and did not publish very nasty articles. Only in the final two paragraphs of an editorial that commented on the 666 recipients in this year's Queen's birthday honours list, The Age ranted in a resigned attitude about the "inevitable progression towards becoming a republic.":
As The Age has said before, awarding of Australian honours on a day supposedly devoted to our head of state is anachronistic and confusing.
The other time of year Australian honours are awarded is on Australia Day, as is appropriate. There is nothing wrong in retaining the long weekend, but it should be for a different, more relevant, reason. Would the Queen really mind all that much if Australians ceased to mark her birthday?
I do not want to comment on the editorial's unjournalistic last sentence. Haven't The Age's editors not learned one of the most important principles when writing a comment: Never finish with a question mark. But this is not the only journalistic principles The Age loves to ignore. Fair reporting from both sides of the Monarchy vs. republic dispute comes to mind.
Trooping the Colour in Australia On the 12th June 2010 - the same day Britain honours Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday with Trooping the Colour, Australia paid tribute to her Monarch with a "Queen's Birthday Parade" at The Royal Military College at Duntroon.
Here's the ABC's short report on this great event.
Unfortunately there was neither a live coverage of the Australian nor of the British ceremonies on the Australian television networks.
The Royal Military College (RMC) of Australia trains and educates the future officers of the Army.
'Colours' originated from the distinctive badges or crests on medieval banners and were used in the British Army originally as a means of identifying the location of the headquarters of regiments in battle. In time the Colours became a focal point of regimental esprit de corps.
The original Colours were first presented to the RMC by His Royal Highness the Duke of York (later King George VI) during his visit to Australia in 1927. These Colours are now lodged in the Headquarters of the Royal Military College of Australia, Patterson Hall. The Queen's Colour was trooped for the first time on the Queen's Birthday Parade in 1956. The present Colours were presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in May 1988.
This year's parade comprised 350 members of the Corps of Staff Cadets from all three classes at the College. The success of recruiting and retention efforts at the RMC sees the largest number of cadets on parade since 1998.
The RMC Band provided musical accompaniment for the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Aussie Republicans cling to wishful thinking
Contrary to his convictions ARM chairman Major-General Michael Keating must have had one or two or more toasts in honour of Queen’s Birthday. How else is it possible, that he sees double figures? According to the traditional and tired pro-republican Queen’s Birthday article in today’s Sunday Age, he claimed: "Sixty to 80 per cent of people are republicans and half of them vote for the Coalition." These figures are about double of the usual republican paid opinion polls and have nothing to do with reality. But wishful thinking characterizes the Australian republican existence.
Of course Queen’s Birthday is always a day of hope for republicans. They cling to the idea that they can raise enough discomfort with Australia’s oldest holiday to fill their ranks with fighters for constitutional change. This year’s republican hope lies with the opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey, “who has taken over from Malcolm Turnbull as the torchbearer for republican sentiment within the Liberal Party” as The Sunday Age put it. However, Mr. Hockey poured water into the republican wine and said the Coalition was unlikely to adopt a party position on the republic but leave it as a matter for individuals. No progress for republicanism in Australia. Happy Queen’s Birthday, folks!!
Friday, 11 June 2010
Republicans have no style
In which country can a government-owned organisation publish an insulting advertisement ahead of the head of state’s official birthday? The answer is: Australia, or to be precise: the State of Victoria. And here in particular the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), a Victorian Government-owned organisation set up in 1986, which published this half page advertisement in The Age and probably other local newspapers in Victoria as well. Degrading the Queen of Australia has become something of a habit and takes place despite the Monarchists’ protests. However, to use a photo of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh two days before the Queen’s Birthday indicates an unknown depth in decency. And all this with the taxpayers' money. TAC's e-mail address: info@tac.vic.gov.au
For republicans Queen’s Birthday is, what Shaun Carney, The Age’s associate editor described like this: ”The republican question is now what used to be called in the newspaper game a ‘hardy annual’: a predictable, intrinsically inconsequential story that can be trotted out at the same time every year to little lasting effect."
We can expect more nastiness in the coming days and on Queen’s Birthday itself.
YESTERDAY the Queen turned 84. No mention in The Age's FYI column. You republican rag.
Ivar Dorum, Hawthorn
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
The Age’s associate editor: "Forget about a republic or new flag"
It is only on a rare occasion, that I have to agree with an Age article concerning their propagating “a” republic. But today it happened. Shaun Carney, The Age’s associate editor, has written a very honest opinion piece, one that should be widely read by his fellow followers of republicanism:
Australia should become a republic. But it won't for a very long time, if ever. There's a better than even chance that the change won't come during the lifetime of any Australian alive today.
The political system, and Australians' deteriorating attitudes to politics and politicians, will see to that. The republican question is now what used to be called in the newspaper game a "hardy annual": a predictable, intrinsically inconsequential story that can be trotted out at the same time every year to little lasting effect.
This Australia Day weekend the hardy annual sprouted a little extra foliage with Ray Martin's revival of the suggestion that the nation should change its flag and ditch the Union Jack. That idea used to get around with the republican argument back in the 1990s, until republicans, excited by the prospect of a referendum aimed at ditching the monarchy, judged it to be too toxic and dumped it.
It is probably the case that a majority of Australian voters favour the idea of a republican Australia, as the polls suggest. But the numbers are not overwhelming. And there is often a big gap between what people tell pollsters and what they do. They say they want governments to provide greater services but they bitch about every extra tax dollar, for example. And Australians have not liked voting 'yes' at referendums since Federation.
In any case, what sort of republic are we talking about? There is no single view: the republican position is in a pre-adolescent state. There are minimalists and there are direct-electionists, with few real signs of an accord.
Since the 1999 referendum, when the minimalist proposal attracted 45 per cent of the vote and failed to carry one state, the direct-electionists have argued that every non-monarchist is obliged to fall in behind the idea of an elected ceremonial head of state. Speaking for myself, they are dreaming. The last thing this country needs is more elections and more politics, which is what this model would bring, no matter what they say. Certainly some minimalist republicans will shift but I would never back it.
Does this mean, The Age will stop it’s “hardy annual” on ANZAC Day or, more symbolically: Queen’s Birthday? I am afraid, that would be too much to expect. After all, all those republican writers need their payment. No articles – no money. Being an Australian republican means, you are in the business as long as the Monarchy prevails. They cannot wish “a” republic or do they really think opinion pieces praising the fabulous new order would be read by anyone?
The RadicalRoyalist remains cautious and on alert. After all he has to be, because he is using what Shaun Carney denounced as “the hit-and-run style of the blogosphere … that alone would probably be enough to sink any referendum”.
Posts
