Republican debate flares ahead of King Charles’ first visit to Australia as head of state

Debates around Australia’s continued future under the British monarchy have flared ahead of King Charles’ first visit to the country since he ascended the throne.Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia on 18 October, with stops in Sydney and Canberra during their six-day visit.The conversation about Australia’s future under the British monarchy has reared its head in light of the visit after a letter from King Charles to the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) was publicly reported this week.In the letter, Charles indicated he would not stand in the way if Australia wished to become a republic.The letter was in response to one sent by the ARM in December 2023, requesting a meeting with the King during his proposed visit to discuss Australia’s future relationship with the UK, and asking him to “consider publicly supporting the will of the Australian people and their desires to move to a republic”.In the reply, which was sent in March, Nathan Ross, assistant…