Restored monarchy gains young Germans' support

In November 2010 the Radical Royalist published the news that 13 percent of the Germans want a Monarchy. The German magazine stern published an opinion poll, which revealed that 13 percent of the 1,000 Germans asked on 18th and 19th November 2010 favoured a Monarchy. 67 percent oppose it and 20 percent could not make up their mind.

Surprisingly high was the positive Monarchist response among the young Germans between 18 and 29 years. In this age group 19 percent wish to see a Monarch ruling in Berlin.

Two and a half years later the Monarchists are on the rise, reported the online news site The Local, Restored monarchy gains young Germans' support. The latest opinion poll which was conducted for the German press agency dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) brought to light the surprising result that in 2013 19 percent said that they would like to see a Monarch in Berlin, 6 percent more than in 2010. Among people aged between 18 and 24 this figure jumped up to more than one in three, 34 percent to be exact, an increase of 15 percent.

Astonishing 55 percent of all people asked by the YouGov pollsters said, they were “more or less interested” in monarchist topics. Two in three women admitted to be interest in royal matters.

The growing interest in Germany is partly due to a string of political scandals and two resignations of federal presidents within 18 months. The “inhuldiging” of the new Dutch King Willem-Alexander next Tuesday is exciting many Germans. On 30^th April the public television station ARD (Germany’s equivalent to the ABC) will start broadcasting live from Amsterdam at 9 am and the reporting will only finish at 7.50 pm. Commercial TV stations have similar live coverage from the Netherlands; RTL has a three hour programmes from midday onwards.

Koninklijke Nederlands Munt (KNM)

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30th Anniversary of King Umberto's passing away

After the Italians elected their 630 deputies and 315 senators for the 17th Parliament of the Italian Republic on 24th/25th February 2013, Euronews commented: 

"The results of the Italian general election are threefold, political gridlock, market jitters and a slap in the face for European austerity.

"The numbers mean that the country faces stalemate in the coming weeks as former foes try to put hostilities to bed in order to govern a country in difficulty."

In a couple of weeks the term of president Napolitano will come to an end and the deputies and senators have to find a replacement of the 87-year-old former Communist deputy.

It is rather ironic that at a time, when Italy does not have a functioning government and is looking for a head of state, Italian Monarchists commemorate the late King Umberto II who died 30 years ago on 18th March 1983 in Switzerland.

Proclamation of King Umberto II on 10th May 1946 under the thundering joy of tenths of thousands of Romans at a balcony of the Quirinale Palace.

After the rigged referendum of 2nd June 1946 the Monarch left Italy to avoid a civil war and bloodshed and went into a life-long exile in Portugal, never to be allowed back to Italy, not to die there and not to be buried in his own country. His body was put to rest in the monastery Hautecombe, France. The Radical Royalist commemorated King Umberto’s accession to the Italian throne on 9th May 1946 and called it La grande tragedia d'Italia - Umberto II.

But King Umberto is not forgotten in Italy, as this graffito shows.

The politicial and economic mess Italy is in at the moment is the right time to reflect how Italy could flourish under a Constitutional Monarchy with an impartial King above the parties, above the politicians and overlook an impartial judicial system.

Never did Italy need a King more urgently than now. Viva King Umberto! Viva Italia!

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Persian Prince Reza Pahlavi in The Hague

Persian Dutch Network – “If tomorrow our country is attacked, it just destroys our chances for democracy”, Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of [Iran] said in a press conference in The Hague.

The Prince is paying a short but intense visit to The Netherlands in order to present evidence to the International Criminal Court in order to charge the supreme leader of Iran for crimes against humanity.

“As the Iranian government has not signed the Rome Statute we cannot send a complaint to the court as citizens or groups”, Reza Pahlavi told the Persian Dutch Network in a video interview. “Everything is up to the Security Council of the United Nations to refer the file to the ICC,” he added.

Prince Reza sought support from those who care about human rights issues in Iran.

Crown Prince Reza was welcomed in The Hague by his supporters.

The 52-year Prince has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At a press conference in The Hague, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi strongly warned against a military attack on Iran. “It just destroy our chances for democracy in our homeland. In this way we lose the support of Iranians who are now fighting for democracy.”

Prince Reza Pahlavi is meeting with Dutch Parliament members. Dutch media has warmly received his arrival to The Netherlands. The Iranian Embassy in The Hague has not yet reacted to the Prince’s trip.

Before the Crown Prince went to The Hague, he had been in Berlin. Members of the federal parliament (Bundestag) had agreed to meet him and to discuss his concerns. However, the meeting was cancelled at short notice. But Crown Prince Reza could talk to media people in the German capital, among other to the B.Z. News aus Berlin and an Iranian TV station (see below). Why the German politicians shied awayfrom a meeting with Crown Prince Reza is at everybody's guess.

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Greeks will not be allowed to vote for a Monarchist Party

A total of 32 parties, coalitions and individual candidates will contest the general election on 6th May, following their approval by the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) on Thursday.

The court banned four parties from taking part: National Hope, PAME in GESEEP [Π.Α.Μ.Ε. στο Γ.Ε.Σ.Ε.ΕΠ.], the Friends of Man, and Citizens Assembly-(Direct) Democracy in Practice.

It is understood that National Hope (ΕΘΝΙΚΗ ΕΛΠΙΔΑ) was prohibited under the electoral law from participating as it is a Monarchist Party.

Less of a problem were strange parties like these:

Communist Party of Greece (Marxist-Leninist)-Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Greece (KKE (m-l)-ML KKE), 

Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow (Antarsya), 

Organisation of Communist Internationalists of Greece (OKDE), 

Workers Revolutionary Party (EEK Trokskyists), Sabetai Matsas

Organisation for the Reconstruction of the Communist Party of Greece (OAKKE).

from: neoskosmos

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The French Royalists and the presidential elections

The French are in the middle of a presidential campaign that is not only costlier than ever, but also nastier. Incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy is trailing behind the Socialist competitor François Hollande.

The French Constitutional Court has approved ten candidates to run for the presidency in elections starting on 22nd April. Former prime minister and foreign minister Dominique de Villepin is not among them, because he did not succeed in convincing 500 dignitaries of the French republic to support him with a "parrainage" (sponsorship). He very bitterly complained that he, who held high offices in the first decade of the third millennium, could not find 500 French dignitaries to give their signature for his candidacy - due to pressure from the ruling conservative party (UMP) and arch-enemy Nicolas Sarkozy with whom he sat at the same cabinet table.

De Villepin pointed out that "fantasist" candidates of all sorts had an easy go to fulfil the parrainage requirement. He aimed not only at the Trotskyite or the Revolutionary Communist candidates, but also at Jacques Cheminade. The 71-year-old - who first sought the presidency in 1981 - is again running as an independent. In 1995 he secured 0.28 percent of the vote. But he is hardly an independent candidate, he is the head of the ominous LaRouche movement in France and spreads their bizarre theses.

This year there is no outspoken Royalist candidate who tries to make it to the Elysée Palace. In 2007 Yves-Marie Adeline, chairman of the Alliance Royale, failed to find 500 signatories. Although he could convince 250 dignitaries to endorse his candidacy, he had to give up his attempt to present a Royalist alternative to the voters. This year his successor Patrick de Villenoisy failed to find 500 godfathers to endorse him.

However, in 2012 there is one candidate, whom the Italian news agency AGI.it connects with Monarchists:

The Constitutional Court has confirmed that there are officially 10 candidates for the French elections, after the official deadline for the presentation of 500 signatures of at least 30 departments of local administrations. ... and monarchist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.

Strangely enough Monsieur Dupont-Aignan's party is called Debout la république and he could collect 708 signatures.


On the other hand, the royalist organisation (and semi-party)La Nouvelle Action Royaliste (NAR) last week endorsed Nicolas Dupont-Aignan:

Élection présidentielle - COMMUNIQUÉ de la Nouvelle Action Royaliste
Dans le souci primordial de restaurer l'État dans son indépendance et sa dignité, la Nouvelle Action royaliste confirme son rejet de Nicolas Sarkozy et appelle à en délivrer la France. Elle s'oppose, non moins fermement à la propagande xénophobe de Marine Le Pen qui nie la tradition nationale du droit du sol et qui viole, par ses diatribes antimusulmanes, la lettre et l'esprit de la loi sur la laïcité.

Pour le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle, la Nouvelle Action royaliste appelle à voter pour Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, proche de ses positions sur les questions institutionnelles et européennes.

Paris 26 mars 2012

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Commissario Montalbano comes out as a Monarchist




Ma io un commissario MONARCHICO SONO.

This version with subtitles was shown in Australia by SBS. The translation handled the Monarchist confession of Commissario Montalbano in a correct manner.

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The late Prince Ali Reza's daughter was born seven months after his death

HIH Prince Ali Reza, second son of the late Shahanshah Mohammed Reza of Iran, committed suicide on 4th January 2011 (see the RadicalRoyalist's obituary).

Darius Kadivar, an exiled Iranian Monarchist blogger, reported two days ago:

It has been officially announced that the late Prince Ali Reza has a daughter named Iryana Leila born on July 26th, 2011 to his relationship with fiancee Raha Didevar.

Prince Ali Reza was formally engaged in 2001 to Sarah Tabatabai, but it seems that the relationship ended some time afterwards.

On the website of HIM Shah Reza II this message was published:

On behalf of my family, I wish to inform our compatriots & friends of the birth of Iryana Leila, daughter of our beloved Alireza, on July 26th, 2011.

We know you will join us, out of respect and love for our dearest Alireza, and allow the baby and her mother Ms. Raha Didevar to recover & thrive in peace and privacy.

We continue to be touched and grateful for your love and heartfelt sympathies that have been extended to us, unconditionally, since our loss.

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An unabashed Monarchist leaves the Senate

The Sydney Morning Herald paid tribute to Senator Nick Minchin Exit Minchin, unabashed monarchist to the end . One of Australia's staunchest Monarchists has drawn the curtain on an 18-year career and will leave the Australian Senate on 30th June.

Two Monarchists: Senator Nick Minchin (l.) and Senator Bernardi, both from South Australia.

Today it is The Age that gives Nick Minchin some space on his final days as a politician:

"The most notable Liberal departures are senators Nick Minchin and Judith Troeth, from opposite ideological ends of their party.

"Minchin, a former Senate leader, has been a warrior on the right, playing a crucial role in resisting Malcolm Turnbull's embrace of Kevin Rudd's emissions trading scheme and in the elevation of Tony Abbott. Despite being a senior Howard minister, Minchin has always been his own man, sometimes promoting lost causes (non-compulsory voting), at other times telling unpleasant truths (unsuccessfully advising John Howard to retire). Minchin was Australia's longest-serving finance minister (six years) but in a gracious valedictory speech this week ceded the title of best finance minister to Labor's Peter Walsh.

"Minchin also told Parliament that 'nothing in my long career in campaigning has given me greater pleasure than the comprehensive rejection of that republican model' in the 1999 referendum, and promised to remain active in advocating the virtues of the current system."

Retiring Senator Nick Minchin was the winner
Equally today the same newspaper reports on the re-election of Alan Stockdale as president of the Liberal Party. He had been challenged by Peter Reith, “a controversial former Howard government minister who made headlines in the maritime dispute and the 2001 ‘children overboard’ scandal” – and a republican. Senator Nick Minchin the Monarchist had his last battle to prevent a republican becoming president of the Liberal Party. And today he can claim victory, again.

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Huis Doorn: German Monarchists commemorate the Kaiser

On the 70th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II's death German Monarchists visited Huis Doorn outside Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He passed away on 4th June 1941 and was buried in a mausoleum in the gardens as he had stated in his testament that he wished to be buried in Germany only when the Monarchy was restored. That has not happened in the past 70 years, therefore the Kaiser's remains still rest in the country that granted him asylum in 1918.

Tobias, a friend of the Radical Royalist and fellow Monarchist, took these photos on 4th June 2011 and gave permission to publish them.

The entrance gate to Huis Doorn's compound.

Huis Doorn, a classic 14th century manor house.

Huis Doorn, a classic 14th century manor house.

The Kaiser's bust in front of Huis Doorn

The Kaiser's mausoleum.

The Kaiser's mausoleum.

German Monarchists at the Kaiser's mausoleum.

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70 years today since Kaiser Wilhelm II passed away

This 4th June German Monarchists will gather in Huis Doorn (Doorn Manor, photos see here), a classic 14th century manor house outside Doorn, a small town near Utrecht in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to commemorate Kaiser Wilhelm II. He died at Huis Doorn on 4th June 1941 and was buried in a small mausoleum in the gardens, awaiting his return to Germany upon the restoration of the German monarchy, according to the terms of his will; his wish that no swastikas be displayed at his funeral was not heeded. He did however refuse to have a grand funeral in Berlin which considerably frustrated Hitler who had wanted to walk behind Kaiser Wilhelm's coffin as a propaganda show.

Kaiser Wilhelm and his eldest grandsons, Prince Wilhelm (1905-1940) and Prince Louis Ferdinand (1907-1994), grandfather of the present head of the Hohenzollern Family.

Baroness Ella van Heemstra (1900 1984), the mother of actress Audrey Hepburn, spent most of her childhood living in the house. The house was purchased in 1919 by Kaiser Wilhelm II as his residence-in-exile. The Emperor had the house adapted and fitted with all modern conveniences. He also makes some changes to the park (35 hectares), laid out in the English landscape garden style.

Kaiser Wilhelm and the Dutch Crown Princess Juliana, mother of the present Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

The Dutch government confiscated the manor house and its household effects in 1945 as German property and transformed it into a museum that is visited by approximately 50,000 people a year.

Kaiser Wilhelm II and sons

The life of Kaiser Wilhelm II is well-documented and shall not be repeated in this posting. For further information on Germany's last ruling Emperor see The Altar and Throne Monarchy Site and The Mad Monarchist in English or Paukenschlag in German.

When German Monarchists gather in Doorn on His Majesty’s 70th death anniversary, they might do so with nostalgia, but they are also looking forward to this year’s big event: On 27th August the head of the House of Hohenzollern, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, will get married to Princess Sophie of Isenburg und Büdingen. Prince Georg Friedrich’s father married in 1976 and was killed one year later in a training accident whilst serving in the Bundeswehr.



Germany’s Imperial Family suffered many setbacks and tragedies, but they are still there – a living reminder of the possibilities of having a crowned democracy.


Prince Georg Friedrich: great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

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Two sides of one coin: Labor Day and Queen's Birthday holiday

This Monday is a public holiday in Victoria: Labor Day. It commemorates the granting of the eight-hour working day for Victorians. It also recognizes workers’ contributions towards the nation’s economy. 14th March also happens to be Commonwealth Day and the theme that has been agreed by the Queen is ‘Women as Agents of Change’. This theme will be celebrated throughout the Commonwealth during the year, with special events taking place during the week of 14th-20th March.

Reading The Age today gives you no hint of the importance of this day. This newspaper ignores the workers as it ignores the Commonwealth and the Queen on Her official birthday in June. At least the journalists did not have to write abusive editorials and other opinion pieces on workers’ rights today as they usually do against Australian Monarchists and the Australian Monarchy.

In The Age’s editor’s eyes workers aren’t even worth being mentioned, while the Queen’s constitutional role really annoys Fairfax media Ltd.

What should be Fairfax media’s next demand? Scrap the public holiday as The Age routinely suggested for Queen’s Birthday holiday. Wait for the editorial on 13th June 2011. Australians will see a repeat of the 2010 ritual. Scrap Monday's holiday: Republicans: "Workers might be looking forward to their day off on Monday, courtesy of the Queen's Birthday holiday, but republicans want it scrapped."

Already in 2009 the RadicalRoyalist proclaimed: Keep Labor Day! Nothing will change the RadicalRoyalist’s poconviction – keep Labor Day and Queen’s Birthday holiday!

The Princess Royal meets staff of the Western Riverside Waste Authority Materials Recycling Facility at Smuggler’s Way, Wandsworth, London, 10th March 2011.

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"William will be king of Australia - I certainly wouldn't bet against it"

Boris Johnson was given the honour to be reprinted by The Age today: Even Aussies love the Queen, it’s in the blood. It caused a stir in the comments section here and in the UK, where the Mayor of London’s article was first published in The Daily Telegraph on 30th January 2011.

Just read it for yourself and enjoy the slightly polemic language. About 20 years ago Boris Johnson had a bet with “a vaguely Left-wing Aussie professor“ that the Queen would still be the Australian head of state in – “and I paused, trying to think of a date so far in the future as to make the bet seem fair - the year 2000”. As we all know, the Australian Monarchy was re-affirmed in the 1999 referendum and Boris Johnson looks for the $100 the “vaguely Left-wing Aussie professor“ owes him. Does he claim interest?

Boris Johnson: "As for whether William will be king of Australia - I certainly wouldn't bet against it."

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Illegitimate!

When it comes to shallow journalism, The Age is always an exemplary model, because it never fails when you need it to demonstrate this thesis. Today’s headline President wins outright in Portugal just stated, that the incumbent Anibal Cavaco Silva “grabbed more than the 50 per cent of the vote needed to win outright”. The Socialist Manuel Alegre came second with 19.75 per cent.

Was that it? Another triumph of republican democracy? You could think so if you just read The Age.

The Portuguese media tell a complete different story. In reality the Portuguese Monarchists were jubilant, because they had called for a boycott of the presidential elections, which proved to be successful. Only 46.62 per cent of those entitled to vote bothered to go to the polls: 5,139,583 out of 9,631,222 registered voters stayed away from the polling booths. Among the 4,490,147 voters, 4.26 per cent or 191,170 cast a blank vote another 86,545 or 1.93 per cent cast an invalid vote. In the end, a mere 40.4 per cent wanted to have a say in who should be Portugal's president - 59.6 per cent could not care less about the republic's highest representative.

So, let’s examine The Age’s news item: Mr Cavaco Silva won outright? He received 2,230,240 votes, which represent only 23.16 per cent of the electorate. Compared with the last presidential election in 2006 Mr Cavaco Silva lost 526,372 vote. His main rival, the Socialist Manuel Alegre did not fare much better: He lost 294,591 votes (down from 1,126,612 to 832,021) compared to 2006.

Portuguese Monarchists were delighted about the result of this presidential election: “Portuguese say NO to the republic" (PORTUGUESES DIZEM NÃO À REPÚBLICA) was one of the headlines.

Before the elections, the Portuguese had been called to “de-republic” Portugal (NESTE DOMINGO, VAMOS DESREPUBLICANIZAR PORTUGAL) and Monarchists were shown how to vote invalid by writing in “I want a King!

So, what The Age loved to call an outright win may be the beginning of the long end of the Portuguese republic. Long live the King! Viva o Rei! Viva Portugal Real!

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Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia announced his engagement

German Monarchists had anxiously waited for this news. His Imperial Highness, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia (*10th June 1976), announced his engagement with Her Serene Highness, Princess Sophie of Isenburg (*7th March 1978), daughter of T.S.H. Prince Franz Alexander and Christine of Isenburg.

H.I.H. Prince Georg Friedrich succeeded his grandfather, H.I.H. Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, on 25th September 1994 as head of Germany's Imperial Family.

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Iranian terror sentence against human rights lawyer

Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani (37) and Arash Rahmanipour (19) were hanged on 28th January 2010 for the capital crime of Mohareb, or "taking up arms against God," which was based on their membership in the pro-Royalist group, Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran.

As The Los Angeles Times reports today Arash Rahmanipour's lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, was sentenced to eleven years in prison. The L.A. Times: "She aroused the ire of the judiciary when she spoke out about the secret execution of one of her clients, who was convicted of belonging to an outlawed monarchist group and hanged before dawn Jan. 28, 2010, without Sotoudeh's knowledge".

Last Sunday, Nasrin Sotoudeh was convicted of acting against national security and failing to wear the Islamic head scarf, was sentenced to eleven years in prison and banned from practicing law or traveling for 20 years.

The human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh was arrested and placed in solitary confinement in September and has been tortured, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Sotoudeh's family

Amnesty International's British director, Kate Allen, called her a prisoner of conscience. Five years of Sotoudeh's sentence were for being a member of an outlawed human rights group, even though she wasn't, Allen said.

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Two setbacks for republicans
This weekend saw two considerable backlashes for republicans.

Kingdom of Spain
The Spanish autonomous region Catalonia voted against the incumbent three party coalition government. While the Socialists (PSC) lost nine and the former Communists/Greens (Iniciativa Verds-Esquerra ICV-EUiA) two seats, the Republican Left (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya - ERC) was more than halved: from 21 seats it could retain only ten. Or in actual figures: In 2006 414,067 Catalonians had given their votes to the ERC, this time 218,046 Catalonians thought it to be a good idea to vote for the republican left.

The new government will be built by Covergència i Unió (CiU), a conservative and moderate separatist oriented party that had been in power for most of the time after Catalonia regained its autonomous status and became one of the autonomous Communities within Spain in 1980.

Victoria
Victoria went to the polls on Saturday and although not all votes are counted yet, it is most likely that the Australian Labor Party’s eleven years in government will come to an end. Premier John Brumby will be replaced by the Liberal Ted Baillieu. Mind you, this replacement is not the reason, why the RadicalRoyalist calls this electoral result a defeat for the republicans, though John Brumby loved to be called an "avowed republican". John Brumby’s record as a Premier of Victoria may have been appalling, when the transport system is at its worst since privatisation took place and the continuation of stupid and expensive, taxpayer strapping PPP (public private partnership) projects became a trademark of this state government, but since there is no guarantee that the incoming government of Liberal and National Party will perform any better, the main focus of this posting is on the fiercely republican Rob Hulls, Attorney General and “Labor’s attack-dog-in-chief, Brumby’s closest mate in caucus ... the man Brumby ensured became his Deputy Premier when others wanted the job after the abrupt departures of Steve Bracks and John Thwaites in mid-2007” (The Sunday Age on 28th November).

It was Hulls who accused opponents of his decision to replace the Queen with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from New Year's Day 2010 as "rabid Monarchists".

His possible replacement as Victoria’s Attorney General, Robert Clark MP, stated in a letter to the RadicalRoyalist, “that what the Attorney-General [Hulls] has announced is beyond his powers and usurping the role of judges. It is also in direct conflict with the rules made by judges about criminal court matters, which still provide for the use of The Queen’s name.”

It has to be seen, if the taking office of Mr. Clark will make a change to the better. The RadicalRoyalist will remind the new Attorney General of his words.

On a more reconciling note, it should be said that on the personal level, Mr. Brumby had an excellent relation with his Queen. After meeting the Queen of Australia in October 2009 he said: “I was so impressed by how informed she was about Victoria and about Australia. . .she was particularly interested in the recovery, how people were faring and the status of the temporary villages.


“She's a remarkable person. She's extraordinarily well informed and deeply concerned about what's happening in Victoria and Australia. That's what so impressed me and this is something she has personally felt and personally experienced.”

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Australian republicanism at 16-year low

That must have cost The Sunday Age some tears: To admit that "more Australians [are] favouring retaining the monarchy" than to make Australia a republic.

Despite some re-emerging political momentum for the republican cause, voters appear increasingly apathetic about the idea of replacing the Queen and governor-general with an Australia head of state, although many are prepared to accept a republic after Queen Elizabeth's reign ends.

An Age/Nielsen poll taken earlier this month shows support for a republic is now running at 44 per cent. This is the lowest level since 1994, and well down from the peak of 57 per cent in 1999, the year the question was tested in a national referendum.

The national poll of 1400 people found almost half (48 per cent) are now against the idea. Such a level of hostility has not been recorded since the late 1970s, when about 61 per cent were against a republic.

Republicans put all their hope in the Queen of Australia's death - as if the people would rush out in a referendum and kick out King Charles. Can you think of anything more "un-Australian" than to deny a newcomer a fair chance to show his talents?


This idea shows that Australian republicanism is an inplausible concept.

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Your Kingdom Needs You

This poster is from Portugal, but is applicable everywhere.

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Tony Abbott's NO to a republic: "Not in my lifetime"

In response to Julia Gillard's idea of having "a" republic after the Queen's death, Tony Abbott reaffirmed that Australia won't become a republic in his lifetime.

Asked by The Age whether he thought there would ever be a republic, the Opposition Leader said the republican cause had been with us for a long time, "but the Australian people have demonstrated themselves to be remarkably attached to institutions that work".

"I think that our existing constitutional arrangements have worked well in the past. I see no reason whatsoever why they can't continue to work well in the future.

"So while there may very well be further episodes of republicanism in this country, I am far from certain that at least in our lifetimes there is likely to be any significant change," Mr. Abbott said.

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The Age is in mourning

It was with deep regret that the writer of today's editorial of The Age conceded: “... support for [a republic] will weaken, as an Age/Nielsen poll taken last week indicates. Only 44 per cent of respondents wanted Australia to become a republic.” The only hope The Age squeezes out of the opinion poll is that “31 per cent said it should never happen”.

They never give up hope. But neither do the Monarchists who are certain that intelligence will prevail.

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