Fairfax journalist, Stephanie Peatling, has long written about the republic. She again comments on its fate even with an uptick in ARM’s profile as it seeks to reignite political action even with a monarchist diehard as Prime Minister and little prospect in sight. She identifies five commonsense angles that will need to come into play before anyone starts paying attention (a) the Queen dies; (b) Prince George becomes less cute; (c) Prince Philip is awarded another knighthood; (d) an assurance we can still participate in the Commonwealth Games and (e) lots more people need to want to do it. (d) is insightful although wrongly captioned and this is what she has to say: “Republicans have always struggled to argue that on the one hand becoming a republic would be an important symbolic step that would cut the final apron strings to Britain while on the other emphasising nothing much would change. Like the flag. Or the national anthem. Or still being able to thrash New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games. ‘Make the change for (largely) sameness’ is a tricky slogan.” Seems there is more work to be done.
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
