Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed King Charles and Camilla’s planned tour of Australia back in January of this year, just weeks before Charles’s doctors found cancer when they were operating on his prostate. The Australia-Samoa trip has been one of the few things Charles has refused to take off his schedule this year, and it will be his biggest trip/tour since his cancer diagnosis (he also went to France for a day in June). Back in January, I pointed out that Albanese was correct in welcoming Charles and Camilla to Australia, because the left-behind Windsors do not travel well and their tours Down Under will remind Aussies how much they want independence from the crown. Which is what PM Albanese wants as well. Does Charles’s cancer change that fundamentally? Or is he a more sympathetic figure abroad? Apparently not – a popular Australian footballer was invited to one of the receptions for Charles, scheduled for this upcoming tour. The footballer said nope and he did so publicly.
A former professional footballer and human rights campaigner in Australia has rejected an invite to meet King Charles. Craig Foster earned 29 caps for the Socceroos throughout his career before becoming a human rights and refugee ambassador for Amnesty International following his retirement.
On Friday, Foster posted a letter he had received from New South Wales premier and Australian Labor Party MP Chris Minns and his wife Anna on social media. The letter invited Foster to a community BBQ “in the presence of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla”.
But Foster said he would not be attending such an event until Australia had its own elected head of state.
“Thanks Anna and @ChrisMinnsMP,” he said. “But, no thanks. I look forward to being ‘in the presence of’ our first Aussie Head of State. When we put our big pants on, as a country.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to embark upon an “autumn tour” of Australia and Samoa between October 18 and October 26. The anti-monarchy campaign group Republic are set to hold demonstrations in Sydney and Canberra during King Charles’s visit.
Oh no, Republic will demonstrate in Australia too??? Damn. You know Charles is still grumpy about all of those “Not My King” chants which greeted him consistently for the first two years of his reign. Remember how loud they were at the Scottish coronation? And Aussies are even louder!! Anyway, this is just a heads up – even though Charles is getting some sympathy at home and abroad, people still want to be done with him and his family.
Thanks Anna and @ChrisMinnsMP
But, no thanks.
I look forward to being ‘in the presence of’ our first Aussie Head of State.
When we put our big pants on, as a country. pic.twitter.com/hE08NpM0SZ
— Craig Foster (@Craig_Foster) October 4, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Edinburgh, UK, 05 July 2023: Anti-monarchy protesters hold placards near the St Giles’ Cathedral on the day of the National Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving for Britain’s King Charles, in Edinburgh, Scotland.,Image: 787304957, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: PHIL NOBLE / Avalon
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- The Combined Cadet Force Pipes and Drums and the Cadet Military Band proceed down The Royal Mile in Edinburgh ahead of the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland at St Giles’ Cathedral. Picture date: Wednesday July 5, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL King. Photo credit should read: Danny,Image: 787305514, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Danny Lawson / Avalon
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- Edinburgh, UK, 05 July 2023: King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland, at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.,Image: 787316378, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Jonathan Brady / Avalon
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- An anti-monarchy protestor holds a placard as the demonstrate outside St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on July 5, 2023, during a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication. Scotland on Wednesday marked the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication where the The King was presented with the Honours of Scotland.,Image: 787351981, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: ANDY BUCHANAN / Avalon
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- Edinburgh, UK, 05 July 2023: King Charles III is presented with the Crown of Scotland during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland, at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh.,Image: 787359105, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Milligan / Avalon
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- EDITORS NOTE: OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE Protestors on The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, ahead of the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland. Featuring: Protesters Where: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 05 Jul 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland. Featuring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla Where: Edinburgh, United Kingdom When: 05 Jul 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland. Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: Edinburgh, United Kingdom When: 05 Jul 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Charles is also probably salty about the fact that his mother lived so long that by the time he became king, everyone was pretty much done with monarchy. Poor Charlie. 😆
I actually don’t want to know what it feels like to be him. He waited 70+ years for that throne and in all that time people just never really warmed to him.
I am Australian. I learned that Not My King and Not My Queen were coming to visit and grace us with their presence here from….. Kaiser.
It’s crickets here about this tour.
I think I might just have to turn up and start a chant.
Hooray!
@mustlovedogs what does the AM after Foster’s name mean?
It means Member of the Order of Australia.
Thanks @sydneygirl
Australia will not become a republic because of the perception that the British monarch is benign and they keep their distance. We had a referendum last year, the campaign of which was truly ugly, and it failed. We have only passed 6 referenda since federation. Australians are very resistant to change, which is why we get the useless, self-interested politicians that we have.
Me too!
I joined Graeme’s mailing list to find out about organised protests (god damn I want to waive one of those yelllow signs!) but I haven’t gotten any details yet. I’m in Hobart and I need to know what flights to book!
Cancer is a horrible disease, full stop. You can easily empathize with anyone who has it, and still 100% feel that they are not fit for their job. I don’t think wanting independence from a monarch is odd, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t symbolize atheism with the fact that he’s fight cancer. If KC wants to be fired Down Under, so be it.
Yeah, agree. People can sympathize with him for his health but can also say not my king. They’re not exclusive. I do wonder why Charles was so determined to do this trip.
Vanity? Narcissism? Maybe he wants to feel popular, loved and powerful?
Yeah, I can see all of that. It’s just funny bc for someone who hates being overshadowed I doubt this trip is going to show him and Camilla as more popular than Diana was. But maybe he’ll feel loved popular and powerful either way.
Some of the Australian papers are even worse than the british tabloids. Hopefully the cost of their junket on the Australian taxpayers dime gets covered.
Murdoch is Australian.
Maybe by birth – he renounced his Australian citizenship.
Graham Smith, CEO of Republic and author of Abolish the Monarchy arrived in Australia a few days ago to organise the protests.
Good!
We need more Graham Smiths, NOT MY KING 😁
Wow, it hasn’t hit mainstream news. Just goes to show how crucial Australia is to the British constitutional monarchy … the mother land and all that.
Apparently Craig Foster is the Chair of the Australian Republic movement, has been since 2022. I learned that from Wikipedia, but PM Albanese and the MP who invited him HAD to have known that. His loud and public decline of the invite can’t be a surprise to them. The Aus govt has to have anticipated (planned?) it.
Love this for Chucky
The plot thickens and I love it.
I may have to dig out the clip of the stadium full of Scottish football fans singing ‘you can shove your coronation up your ar$e’. Joyful.
@sarshcs truly those clips are delightful!
No he won’t, most Australians are still Royalists .
The rest don’t give a rat’s but still think Meghan is a bitch .
Fosters remarks were not received favourably.although he had some support .
Not sure what your references are for that blanket statement – but from this Aussie and her circle of friends and family you couldn’t be more wrong.
You must be watching Channel 9 and reading Murdoch’s tabloids.
Most people I know think it’s time for us to break with the Monarchy.
We obviously move in different circles then .
No I definitely don’t read Murdoch press my dear ,or watch Channel 9 .
I speak of my experience , same as you .
.
You can’t, and shouldn’t speak for “most Australians” then – when it’s really just your own opinion.
*shrugs*
Agree with you @ Sydneygirl. My circle like yours are definitely pro Australia becoming a republic.
We don’t do shit breakfast tv or Murdoch media either.
More than past the time Australia became a republic.
The point is that there is apathy toward the monarchy and that is the secret to its survival here. This point was literally stated by one of the eminent persons from the Commonwealth. Look at the recent referendum result. We don’t like to change our Constitution – 6 referenda have passed since federation. That’s a very poor showing. Changing the Constitution is at the core, and not trusting politicians, not the monarchy itself.
Couldn’t disagree with you more @Cassie.
I don’t know one person who would consider themselves a royalist, and the vast majority of people I know would love for another referendum to be held. It’s way overdue.
Anyone who consumes more than one media source knows that Meghan is not the enemy people love to make her out to be.
If a referendum were held on the monarchy in the near future it would fail. There is a difference between being a monarchist and being pro-constitutional monarchy as a system of government. Who are we going to have as head of state? Malcolm Turnbull?
No, most Australians are ambivalent to the monarchy. The issue is that many don’t know that our Governor-General is NOT our head of state.
I agree with Cassie.
Most Australians are distracted by Karl Stefanovic smirking about Meghan and wringing their hands about a “Yes” vote giving Aborigines having more rights to critically think about what makes real change.
I’d like to feel bad for Chuck, I really would.
Unfortunately he’s such a gormless bucket of vanity & futility that I just can’t muster up any pity for him …
That was beautifully stated.
Truthfully I love that he is being shown just how much the world doesn’t want him as their figurehead. He deserves much worse for everything he did to Princess Diana and her son Prince Harry and his family. His cancer is a non factor for me, I might have found some empathy/sympathy/grace if he had actually changed his condoning of the attacks on the Sussex’s, but he didn’t.
Love every word you and IdlesAtCranky wrote!
The sympathy pitch this man made re his treatment was designed to garner sympathy. He is just an old clown masquerading as a King. His own subjects in the UK are sick and tired of his gauche living. Going to another country expecting more than protest speaks to his hubris.
Giving Tywin Lannister vibes in this above photo.
Ha! It is giving Tywin!
As an American I’m kinda tickled that such a staunch anti monarchist played FOOTBALL for a team called SOCCERoos. Also, now I gotta look up what the word means.
All power to the people of Australia!
I love this for them!!
Down with the Monarchy.
Take to the streets and protest, let the Peoples voices be heard.
Oz has been moving pretty strongly since before the death of QEII, I hope they gain strength faster.
Australia, Ireland and Wales, the horrors brought on by the BRF are huge.
Irish in my family, we know and have not forgotten.
Chuck really needs to accept that the Monarchy is over, outdated. I have sympathy for his cancer illness but “King” is no longer relevant.
A free Republic of Oz with their own duly elected head of state is way past time.
Those young people holding signs,
F*ck the King, Feed the Hungry. No more Royals.
bring tears to my eyes.
Damn straight!
Only the tourists are cheering sign = LOL
Excellent.
Damn Skippy, @yipyip (pardon the pun)! Irish ancestry here too….1845….we remember!
Maybe some people will say that they remember Diana, when they speak to Charles or have special magazine issues with pictures of the Wales trip in 1983. That and the protests for Charles on this visit.
Thanks to documentaries and the Crown TV series, books , social media and even Celebitchy , people are reminded about how foul this lot were to Diana , how many skeletons in the closet . The older generation were sentimental about the Queen and charmed by Diana. The younger one couldn’t care a rats …if anything they find them boring , irrelevant and idle , repeating history by hounding beautiful Meghan and her babies. Aussies must have more colourful phrases to yell at KC ..I hope they use them .