King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Australia on the 18th, marking the king’s first official visit to a country where he serves as head of state since his ascension to the throne. Interestingly, as their visit sparked renewed debates on whether Australia should abolish its constitutional monarchy status tied to the British royal family, a local group supporting a federal system seized the opportunity to launch their “Monarchy Farewell Oz Tour” T-shirts, symbolizing a call to bid farewell to constitutional monarchy.

According to reports from the Associated Press, the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated with images of the couple from their previous visits to Australia, warmly welcoming the 75-year-old monarch for a six-day trip. However, this visit was notably brief, shortened due to King Charles’s recent cancer diagnosis.

Upon their arrival, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, and the Governor of New South Wales, Sam Mostyn, greeted the royal couple in light rain at Sydney airport.

King Charles is only the second sitting monarch to visit Australia, following a trip made by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, some 70 years ago.

Despite a grand ceremonial welcome, the topic of amending the constitution to abolish the British monarchy’s role as head of state resurfaced in national discussions. Monarchists are hopeful that the king’s visit will strengthen ties between Australia and the monarchy, while republicans are advocating for a change that would eliminate the role of a monarch from another hemisphere.

In response, the Australian Republican Movement launched their campaign titled “Farewell Monarchical Rule: The Goodbye Oz Tour,” promoting their ironic T-shirts that read “British Royal Farewell Tour” to welcome the king. Co-chair Anna Torres commented that the royal visit could be seen as a performance, adding, “It’s unfortunate that it also reminds us that our head of state is not a full-time Australian but someone based overseas who serves as a part-time head of state for many places.”

Moreover, all six state governors were absent from the official welcome banquet for the royal couple. Analysis by the Washington Post suggested that King Charles’s public image does not compare favorably to the late Queen Elizabeth II, especially as Commonwealth countries like Australia increasingly consider holding referendums on whether to become republics.

Meanwhile, the Alliance for Supporters of Australia’s Monarchy advocates for maintaining the constitutional connection with Britain. National Chair Ben Veil expressed hope for a positive reception of the royal couple by the public, stating, “Visits like this bring the king closer to the people since our monarch does not reside here. This visit brings the monarchy back to Australia. Australia has a king; we have a constitutional monarchy.”