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Letter to Members - January 2021

In January 2020 we could have had no idea of the tragedy that was to befall us and, indeed, the world.  Whilst there were cases of COVID19, we were unconcerned until there were large outbreaks and then lockdowns commenced in this country.  Despite the virus being continually brought in by overseas travellers, we remain one of the lucky countries in the world despite a number of tragic deaths which should have been avoided.

A year ago, we were discussing the surprise upset of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex removing themselves from royal duties.  I suppose, in a year hence, we will still be discussing them and their doings in the United States of America.  The tragedy was that Prince Harry was extremely popular in this country, even to the extent of a great number of people wanting him to live here on a semi-permanent basis.

In Australia, we have been facing another upset, this time with social media rejecting certain of our posts wanting us to remove words which apparently offend others. We do know that republicans have set up teams to monitor our social media and to register complaints that they are offended by certain things that we say.  Of course, unlike republicans, everything we post is diplomatically worded and factually correct, but it seems that the controllers are on the left and they view us as being on the right which is certainly not true.

The Australian Monarchist League stands for the Australian Constitution and the Crown.  We honour the Queen and we value our system of governance.  We are neither politically right nor left.  We are monarchists and constitutionalists, insofar as we support Australia's system of constitutional monarchy. 

Whenever I may use the term 'left', I do not refer to Labor voters, many of whom are members and supporters of our organisation.  Rather I refer to those who seek to tear down our structures of democracy.  It is these people that label themselves to be on the left of politics.  The Australian Monarchist League has no formal alignment with any political organisation.  As I said, we are monarchists and we are constitutionalists.

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The Duke of Cambridge Tested Positive For COVID-19 in April

News has recently been released that the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, had tested positive for COVID-19 in April but is understood to have kept his diagnosis quiet because he didn't want to cause worry particularly since his father, the Prince of Wales, had also tested positive just weeks earlier.

During the crisis and particularly during his father’s isolation, Prince William was the active face of the monarchy.

He had isolated for seven days at Anmer Hall in Norfolk where the Duchess of Cambridge and their three children were also staying. Fortunately, none of them had caught the virus.

During his isolation, although he was ill, he continued to carry out engagements including some 14 telephone and video calls. In this manner he has followed the example of the Queen and his father, the Prince of Wales, in putting duty first and foremost.

Hopefully things will soon start to normalise and we can look forward to a visit by the Duke and Duchess and their three children to Australia.

The Anniversary of The Republic Referendum

On the 6th of November 2020, monarchists celebrated the 21st anniversary of the defeat of the republic referendum in 1999. This was the day when the majority of Australians, both nationwide and in all States, voted decisively against a republic and for the Queen.

It was the day when MalcolmTurnbull, the then head of the Republican Movement, attacked John Howard saying, in front of the news cameras, that he was "the prime minister who broke this nation's heart." Actually, the reverse was true. Howard actually bent over backwards to be fair to the republican movement, even changing the wording of the referendum to suit Turnbull.

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Letter to Members

Life is starting to get back to normal in Australia, although there are some fears of a second wave. Lessening fears to be sure, but nevertheless still fears.

However, the new normal will be unlike life as it was before the pandemic. Many businesses will undoubtedly become unsustainable leaving thousands of people jobless, with most having to be retrained and to adapt to new careers.

Elderly people still need to be cautious until a proven vaccine is developed. As with the Spanish Flu of 1918, it is not so much the flu itself but the way in which it exacerbates existing conditions. I am pleased to say that those of our members with whom we have been able to make contact around the country are doing well. If anyone would appreciate a call, please do let us know.

It is very easy to blame the government for not closing borders to international travellers and establishing a lock-down sooner, but they have never been faced with a pandemic like this on Australian soil in modern history. On the other hand, there are still those who claim there should have been be no lock-down. Only history will tell.

The question before people’s minds is now whether it is legal for state governments to close their borders to Australians from other states. After all, we are a federation and came together 119 years ago to create a single united nation. Section 117 of the Australian constitution provides that: “A subject of the Queen, resident in any state, shall not be subject to any other state to any disability or discrimination which would not be equally applicable to him if he were a subject of the Queen resident in such other state.” Of course, the High Court may determine that the interests of a state overrides a state’s obligation to persons outside that state, but whatever the Court may say, refusing to allow entry of Australian citizens from outside a state by that state government is against the tenor of the constitution. As the preamble to our constitution states “Whereas the people of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania, (WA joined afterwards) humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God, have agreed to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and under the constitution hereby established.”

With my best wishes to you all.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Benwell
National Chair

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