When I went to school in Australia in the late 1960s and 70s, they played God Save the Queen every morning. In fact, in later primary school, I played God Save the Queen, as a drummer in the band.
A portrait of Elizabeth II was hung in every classroom, and in history classes we were frequently reminded about how great our ties to the “motherland” were.
The first time I began questioning this, I suppose, was in 1975, when the Governor General, Sir John Kerr, sacked prime minister Gough Whitlam and the elected government of Australia, and installed the opposition leader in his place in a caretaker role.
That can’t be right, I thought, the Queen will probably step in and overturn this. But the Queen did not step in, she let the unprecedented decision by her representative in Canberra stand.
Of course, my understanding of the events of the Dismissal is more nuanced now, but it was then and there that I began to think about the complexities of having a head of state who was so remote — by distance and, increasingly, culturally.
Things became a little more complicated for me when I sought, and obtained, a British passport. That document declares me to be a British citizen, and I have taken advantage of that fact over the years to live and work in the United Kingdom, and the get in and out of the European Union much more efficiently than my Australian passport would allow.
In the UK, I understand the affection for the monarchy, and I understand that the royal family, while controversial at times, plays an important role. It attracts tourism dollars, and, in many ways, it defines a certain type of “Britishness” with its pomp and ceremony. But it’s also expensive to maintain and represents a class system that no longer applies.
When asked if I’m a republican, I usually say: “In Britain, no. In Australia, yes.”
While I’d hesitate to call myself a monarchist, I think the system in Britain ain’t yet broke, so there’s no point in fixing it.
So, as the Queen celebrates the milestone of being Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, I remember the song we sang as children, and wish her many more years of health.
The discussion about what comes next can wait.
