KING Charles has been snubbed by all of Australia's state premiers ahead of his nine-day tour of the country.
Despite invitations being sent out, not one of Australia’s state premiers have agreed to meet the monarch and his wife Camilla at a reception in Canberra next week.
The spokesperson for Western Australia's premier Roger Cook's mentioned "other commitments" for his absence.
South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas and New South Wales' Chris Minns also cited prior arrangements, although it is understood Minns will join Charles at an engagement later in the tour.
Tasmania's Jeremy Rockliff will be in the United States on a trade mission, and Victoria's Ben Carroll has sent his parliamentary secretary Nick Staikos in his stead.
With Victoria's state premier Jacinta Allan the latest today to turn the invitation down – none of the top politicians have found the time to welcome the King and Queen to Australia.
Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, has travelled to Australia, ready to stage events and protests in Sydney and Canberra during the tour.
He told The National that it’s “perfectly reasonable that they have better things to do”.
"Most of the state premiers are based hundreds of miles away from Canberra and it’s perfectly reasonable that they have better things to do than fly all the way over to spend five minutes talking to Charles,” Smith said.
“It underscores the fact that most people in Australia don't care. Most people I have spoken to – I've been here two weeks already – didn't even know he was coming. And when they hear he’s coming, they couldn't care less.”
Australian retired football player and human rights activist Craig Foster has also revealed he has turned down an invitation to a community barbecue with the King and Camilla in Sydney.
He posted on Twitter/X: “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.”
Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has a long-held aim of holding a referendum on breaking ties with the British monarchy and his country becoming a republic.
The plans were put on hold after Australians overwhelmingly rejected a plan to give greater political rights to Indigenous people in a referendum held last year.
