MARY'S VISIT A DISASTER FOR
REPUBLICANS - LEADING REPUBLICAN CONCEDES
|
From the National Convenor Australians for Constitutional Monarchy |
David Flint
http://www.norepublic.com.au,
Sent
Constitutional monarchists and especially republicans would have done well to
read The Australian of 14th March.
A leading republican, Dr Mark McKenna,
who wrote a history of Australians republicanism has
drawn two conclusions from the visit of Princess Mary.
It was published under the title, STILL CAPTIVATED BY A CROWN: The Australian,
They are unpalatable for republicans.
First, he said, Australians are not (and never have been) anti-monarchical.
Second, Mary’s popularity in
While her popularity would seem to augur well for the republic, he said it would
be superficial to conclude that Australians are crying out for their own head
of state. He said the message for republicans was little more complex?
Now a Danish citizen, she is not, unlike a president, a politician. As one royal
watcher in
Its fantastic that someone just like us, just an everyday
Australian, [is] fitting into royalty. In other words, Mary’s popularity is
not simple celebrity; it is the distinct appeal of a young Australian woman
becoming royal. One of us for princess.
One of us as the future queen of
He imagines the very scenario republicans must in the heart of hearts fear most.
Prince William marries a young Australian. What chance, he asks, an Australian
republic against youth, beauty and one of us as Williams queen?
This he says points to the chief flaw in the arguments for a republic. An Australian
head of state alone is not enough to get the republic over the line. An Australian
head of state is a consequence of becoming a republic, not the reason for change.
Republicans, he says, can say what they will about the anachronism of monarchy.
But for more than 150 years the monarchy provided a powerful form of symbolism
and served as an embodiment of our most cherished civic values. (Remember this
is a republican speaking)
The monarchy, he says, was the central symbolic force in our Constitution and
our public culture.
And he admits that republicans have not found an argument for change of similar
depth and purpose.
He argues for other more radical reasons for a republic.
But most of these could be achieved
–if the people wanted them-under our own constitution!
It was refreshing at last to hear some good sense about the magic of monarchy
from a leading republican intellectual.
NOTE: The above mentions
an Australian head of state.
1. Our head of state Has been
an Australian for decades
2. Our Regent is Queen Elizabeth