Author: Isabella Kwai / Source: New York Times
SYDNEY, Australia — Australians welcomed Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to Sydney on Tuesday, and clamored for a glimpse of the newly married couple, who a day earlier announced they were expecting the royal family’s newest addition.
The pair — young, diverse and exuding cool — are the new face of royalty. But Australians have long had a complicated relationship with the monarchy, and the couple’s honeymoon tour is widely seen as a charm offensive aimed at sometimes skeptical subjects.
But what is the relationship, both political and emotional, between Australia and the royal family?
We’ll explain.
What does the monarchy have do with Australia?
Around the world, Queen Elizabeth II is known as the Queen of England. But in 16 other nations belonging to the Commonwealth, the same woman is also the official head of state. That means she also answers to the titles Queen of Australia, Queen of Canada, Queen of Barbados — well, you get the point.
Up until 1986, Australian law could effectively be made thousands of miles away in the British Parliament. But two acts passed that year simultaneously in Australia and Britain ended direct British involvement in Australia’s governance.
However, the queen — and her descendants — continue to have an important role in the country. As head of state (but not the government), the queen’s image still appears on bank notes and postage stamps, and her representative, the governor general, serves as a rubber…
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