Her face is the only monarch to appear on Australian money since decimal currency was introduced in 1966, when Australian dollars and cents replaced British-style pounds, shillings and pence. She visited 16 times, the final time in 2011 when she was 85. Such was her star power, an estimated 70% of Australia’s population turned out to see her during a punishing two-month itinerary that took her and her husband Prince Philip to 57 towns and cities spread across vast distances. In 1954, she became the only reigning British monarch to visit Australia. “Now is the time for us to pay tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth, a life well lived, a life of dedication and loyalty including to the Australian people and for us to honor and grieve.”Īlbanese has said previously that a republic referendum is not a priority of his first three-year term in government.ĭuring her long reign, the queen connected to Australia in ways that no monarch before her had done. “Now is not a time to talk about our system of government,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Thistlethwaite had said there would be no change in the queen’s lifetime. Many regarded Australians’ respect and affection for the late monarch as the biggest obstacle to the country becoming a republic with its own head of state.Īlbanese, who describes himself as the first candidate with a “non-Anglo Celtic name” to run for prime minister in the 121 years that the office has existed, had created a new position of Assistant Minister for the Republic and appointed Matt Thistlethwaite to the role in June. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had started laying the groundwork for an Australian republic after elections in May, said Sunday that now was the time not for a change but for paying tribute to the life of Queen Elizabeth II.
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