In Melbourne, a statue of King George V is beheaded in Kings Domain in the CBD and covered in red paint after two statues of Captain Cook and another of Queen Victoria were defaced on Australia Day. A new portrait of King Charles III, in the red ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards with a yellow butterfly on his shoulder by artist Jonathan Yeo and showing at a public gallery in London, was damaged by vegan activists so that it was all red but safe behind perspex. Meanwhile, our own Prime Minister Albanese, now seemingly hopelessly deferential to the most royal personage in Britain, started an official press conference on the Monday holiday by wishing the King of Australia, a Happy Birthday thus making the blood of all dedicated Australian republicans boil!