The passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September 2022 sparked a wave of emotion across the world and an influx of media attention in Australia. With the mass coverage of this news, you might be wondering what exactly is Australia’s relationship with the Queen.
Let’s take you through Australia’s ties to the British monarchy and what you can expect over the coming weeks as a result of this significant moment in history.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy
Australia, like Britain, is a constitutional monarchy, which means it has a government that runs the country with a monarchy serving in a mostly ceremonial role. Before Australia was a nation, it was a collection of six British colonies, each with its own written constitution, parliament and laws. When these colonies joined together to form modern Australia, a constitutional monarchy system of government was chosen for the country.
This means Australia’s head of state is the British monarch which, up until 8 September 2022, was Queen Elizabeth II. As a constitutional monarch, Queen Elizabeth II was not involved in the day-to-day business of the Australian Government, and instead played more of a ceremonial and symbolic role. Some examples of this include signed letters to Australian citizens on their 100th birthday and frequent visits to Australia for momentous events.
Australia’s relationship with the Queen
Over her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia 16 times and her fondness for the country has been widely reported.
She embarked on her first tour with Prince Phillip around Australia in 1954, spending two months visiting every state and territory except the Northern Territory. She received an overwhelmingly positive reception from the public and it is estimated as much as 75% of the population saw the Queen and Prince Philip during this tour.
However, each subsequent visit saw the crowds lessen, representing Australia’s changing perceptions of the constitutional monarchy system. These mixed opinions regarding the monarchy have reemerged in the public response to the Queen’s death, with many in mourning and many others expressing scrutiny of the royal family and the system they represent.
How the Queen will be commemorated in Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has announced Australia will have a national day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, held on Thursday 22 September as a one-off public holiday to commemorate her 70-year reign. On this day. a National Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am in the Great Hall of Australian Parliament House in Canberra and will begin with one minute’s silence. It will be broadcast live across the nation.
Australia’s parliament is also currently suspended for two weeks to mark her passing, and Albanese has ensured the government will make up for the lost sitting days. In addition, flags around the country will hang at half-mast until after the day of the funeral in the UK, scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on ‘D-Day+10’ – 10 days after the Queen’s death.
Will Australia’s money change?
The face of Queen Elizabeth II will soon be replaced on Australian coins and the $5 note. But don’t worry, existing coins bearing the Queen’s face will remain in circulation and will continue to be valid.
“All Australian banknotes issued from 1913 retain their legal tender status,” a spokesperson for the Reserve Bank of Australia has said.
The new coins will use an image supplied by the UK Royal Mint and will likely feature King Charles III facing left, the opposite way to his mother. This would continue a royal tradition dating back to Charles II in 1660.
The transition is expected to commence in 2023.
