Will the coronation of King Charles next Saturday be the beginning of the end for other countries to take over the British monarch at the head of state?
Several countries throw a bonfire ahead of the weekend’s big celebration.
On Saturday, May 6, King Charles will be crowned. Coronation of Queen Camilla.
Photo: Alastair Grant/AP
Jamaica is signaling separation from the British monarchy already this year. The population must be tired of having a king from the old colonial power at their head.
The Australian government says it will open a referendum on the issue if it is allowed to proceed after the next election.
New Zealand as a republic?
The latest flame of fire comes from the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, New Zealand.
Photo: Mark Mitchell/Associated Press
– Ideally, in the long term, New Zealand will become a fully independent country, says the Prime Minister Watchman.
Chris Hepkins wants an arrangement in which the British monarch is not head of state.
Hipkins said this shortly before he is due to travel to the UK for the coronation of King Charles this coming Saturday.
Although New Zealand is fully self-governing, the British monarch still has a ceremonial role as head of state in the former British colony.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits Buckingham Palace on September 17, 2022.
Photo: Stefan Rousseau/AP
The British royal house is represented by the Governor-General of New Zealand, who practically acts as the head of state.
– He adds that replacing the Governor-General with another head of state is not the immediate priority task at present.
referendum in Australia
In Australia, there is growing opposition to the head of state sitting in a castle in a country in another part of the world.
The opposition gained momentum after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
Now, before the coronation of King Charles, T-shirts with the words “democracy, not monarchy” are being sold under the auspices of the “Australian Republican Movement”.
On the other hand, supporters of the current form of government are selling T-shirts with the inscription “Save the Crown”. They are looking forward to being crowned.
The Labor Party has been in power in Australia for the past year.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promises to hold a referendum on whether the country should become a republic if Labor gets another term in government offices, writes Watchman.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promises to hold a referendum on the country’s future if his party wins the upcoming elections.
Photo: STRINGER/Reuters
Australia’s new ambassador to London believes it is only a matter of time before Australia becomes a republic.
“It’s inevitable in my opinion,” Stephen Smith tells The Times.
When the Prime Minister of Australia was installed a year ago, he signed the British King’s Act of “Faith and Obedience”. This is a common tradition every time a new prime minister takes over.
Jamaica is tired of ‘colonial power’
The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, stated that his country was “moving forward”.
– He said that we want to take a step forward in redefining who we are as a country and as a sovereign people.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness is received at Buckingham Palace on September 17, 2022.
Photo: Stefan Rousseau/AP
Stephen Golding, president of the national organization UNIAA-ACL, believes it is crucial for Jamaica to sever ties with the monarchy.
“Given the atrocities we suffered during the time of slavery and throughout the colonial period, I think this is the last piece of the puzzle as to our sovereignty as an independent nation,” says Golding.
An opinion poll from 2022 showed that 56 percent of Jamaicans want to remove the king as head of state, NTB writes.
– Statistician Don Anderson told Reuters that Jamaicans are more ready for the situation now and may be more inclined to want and support a break with the monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth. The photo was taken on December 1, 2016.
Photo: Paul/Reuters
He went on to say that the sentimental ties with the Queen that persisted among the Jamaican elders may now have disappeared.
Loyalty to Queen Elizabeth
If Jamaica breaks with the courts of the British monarchy, it will follow the lead of another former British Caribbean colony, Barbados.
Barbados removed the British monarch from the head of state in 2021.
Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and the Bahamas have all expressed interest in doing the same. Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica are actually republics.
When, after the death of his mother, Charles took the reins of government, Charles became the head of state not only of Great Britain, but also of 14 other countries.
There is plenty of evidence that the governments and populations of many countries felt loyal to Queen Elizabeth.
The same feelings are not strong towards King Charles and make it easy to break away from the British monarchy.
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