How Prince Charles’ Accession Could Help Turn Commonwealth Countries Into Republics

Prince Charles’ future role as king could see a division among the 16 Commonwealth countries.

According to the University College London (UCL), when Prince Charles takes over the throne, each of the 16 realms will recognize his accession in their own way and based on their laws and customs.

The university revealed that Australia and Jamaica have previously expressed their desire to be republics. In 1999, Australia held a referendum on the issue but the country’s proposal was defeated by 45 percent. Approximately 55 percent didn’t want Australia to become a republic.

But former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the issue will once again be raised after Queen Elizabeth’s death. Republicans need to decide whether the new head of state should be directly elected by the people or selected by Parliament.

Peter FitzSimons, the chairman of the Australian Republican Movement, also shared his thoughts on the issue.

“We could wait for the Queen to die, and as the world gathers to say farewell, who slips out the back? Australia. Or we could do this while the Queen's still young enough to hand us the keys. We could rise as one, give her a thunderous standing ovation, and say: ‘Your majesty, thank you, we will take it from here,’” he said.

Meanwhile, Jamaican leaders have long advocated for their country to also become a Republic.

“Both major parties want Jamaica to become a republic. The difficulty lies in the Jamaican constitution, which has very high thresholds for constitutional change: two-thirds majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and any change to the monarchy must also be submitted to a referendum,” a spokesperson for UCL said.

There are also claims suggesting that New Zealand also wants to become a Republic. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told The Times in 2017 that she is a Republican.

“It’s certainly not about my view of the monarchy but my view of New Zealand’s place in the world and carving out our own ­future. So that is what drives my sentiment,” she said.