LONDON, October 12. /TASS/. King Charles III will not object if Australia decides to proclaim itself a republic and stops considering him a head of state, The Daily Mail reported citing excerpts from the letter that the monarch’s personal secretary sent to the members of the Australian Republican Movement ahead of Charles III’s visit to Canberra and Sydney.
"His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his ministers and whether Australia becomes a republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian public to decide," says the letter, received by the Movement in response for its request for a meeting with the king.
The movement, established in 1991, insists that the head of state must be elected, and the office of Governor-General must be abolished. Meanwhile, Australia and the UK will remain "closest friends and allies."
In 1999, Australia held a referendum on becoming a republic, but 55% of respondents voted in favor of preservation of the monarchy. This discussion has interfiled again after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September of the last year.