King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Australia to kick off their 11-day tour on Friday after monarch took his first long-haul flight since cancer diagnosis.
However, the royal couple was delivered a brutal snub amid ongoing speculations over the monarchy’s future hangs in balance. A royal expert claimed that the reception, despite being grand, was an insult to the King.
“All the state premiers of the various Australian states have decided on one excuse after another,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News, adding that the monarch was just given excuses.
The premiers excused themselves from the welcome reception by saying that “they have a cabinet meeting, that they’ve got a commitment or some such, but there’s nothing especially substantial as far as I can see”
“It seems to me just rude. It’s quite extraordinary. They’re not going through the courtesies, and it’s very hard to understand why,” he continued.
“This is absolutely extraordinary. Australia is a monarchy; King Charles is the head of state,” the expert emphasised. “He’s undertaking an 11-day tour of Samoa and Australia, taking only one day off. And as we know, he is battling cancer.”
Charles and Camilla were welcomed to an epic light show on the world-famous Opera House and greeted by PM Anthony Albanese, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and other dignitaries including one-time republican Governor General Sam Mostyin and NSW Governor Margaret Beazley.
The alleged ‘rude behaviour’ comes as the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) dubbed the trip to be the monarchy’s “farewell tour.”
The discussion over Australia’s moves to become a republic has been making many headlines recently. It remains to be seen how the remaining tour pans out for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
