Following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit with the King over the weekend, the Prince and Princess of Wales may soon be making their first trip to Australia in over ten years.
In addition to inviting William and Kate to come with their three kids, Albanese used his 90-minute meeting with the monarch at Balmoral Castle to stifle any intentions for his government to establish a republic.
Shortly after, he stated outside Crathie Kirk, "I am definitely hoping there will be one, there is a standing invitation that the royal family are always welcome in Australia."
The recent visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla the Australia was fantastic. Their visit was a great success, and His Majesty is highly involved. I hope the Prince and Princess of Wales can also come, and we hope it will happen in the near future.
In April 2014, William and Kate, who were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the time, took a 10-day trip of Australia while carrying their infant son, George.
In addition to a visit to Uluru, their hectic schedule included stops in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide.
The Covid epidemic ruined plans for a visit after the Black Summer bushfires.
Another obstacle was Queen Elizabeth II's passing; according to royal custom, the king or queen must be the first to enter a realm. Since the King and Queen's formal visit in October of last year, that barrier has been removed.
But because of the King's cancer fight and the princess's year-long absence due to abdominal surgery and subsequent cancer treatment, such long-distance trips are unlikely.
Prince George, who was a toddler when he visited in 2014, will transfer to a different school in the middle of 2026, which would further complicate the Waleses' schedule. Prince Louis, 7, and Princess Charlotte, 10, his younger siblings, have never been to Australia.
It is well known that Kate and William plan their events around their small family, frequently avoiding public appearances during the school break.
Prince George frequently mentioned his desire to return to Australia, Kate said earlier this year to an Australian reservist stationed in London.
She remarked, "George finds it fascinating that he has visited Australia and New Zealand."
"I want to return there with them right now. Finding time to accomplish it is the problem.
When it comes to formal visits, we usually travel farther since we can find time to visit these nations in a more intimate setting.
Because if you don't, you wind up seeing a lot of the interiors of incredible structures without having the opportunity to interact with many people. It involves ensuring that you can incorporate some work with the kids. I may run into you down there.
In order to accommodate the lengthy summer school breaks in Britain, Seven's Sunrise royal editor Robert Jobson stated that a family tour of Wales is most likely to take place in June or July of the following year. Louis would make his first formal visit, while George and Charlotte have accompanied their parents on a few royal tours.
"I believe that the time frame will likely be the UK summer when the children are not attending school," he stated on Monday.
"It is impossible for me to imagine William and Kate leaving the children behind to travel to Australia.
"This is a big trip for Kate because she has not actually taken a significant international journey since 2022."
In 2022, the princess and William traveled to the Caribbean countries of Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas, which was their final significant international trip.
Long a supporter of a republic, Albanese has gradually softened his stance.
"I think it is crucial that I accept the decisions that have been made and our system of government, but I also support an Australian as our head of state," he stated.
In July 2024, the federal government eliminated the republic's assistant ministry portfolio.
Albanese recently told ABC's Insiders, "I think I have made it clear that I wanted to have one referendum while I was Prime Minister, and we achieved that." This was in reference to the 2023 plebiscite on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which was rejected by almost 60% of Australians.
The Australian Republic Movement has urged the government to maintain a referendum road on the national agenda and maintains that a republic will eventually be established.
Nathan Hansford, the movement's co-chair, stated that a flight to Balmoral should not be necessary for a visit to Australia's head of state.
"Millions of Australians, notably younger voters and those who have recently moved to Australia, have never had a voice.
"It makes sense to re-ask the subject in a polite, open public dialogue."
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