Anne Twomey tells us that we know very little about how the Queen has fulfilled her constitutional functions, including with Australia, because of the effort made to prevent scholars, historians and her subjects from finding out. Documents held by the Royal Household are not public. Correspondence between the Queen and her Governors-General are archived at Windsor Castle and not subject to FOI. Professor Twomey says that this is not a ringing endorsement of constitutional monarchy in our age of transparency, scrutiny and accountability. In 2011, a new British law came into effect so that any government documents recording communications with the Queen, the heir and the second in line to the British throne cannot be released for a minimum of 20 years after they are made and then for the lifetime of that royal family member plus an extra five years after their death. [Her Majesty’s Secret by Anne Twomey, Australian Financial Review, 25 May 2012]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
