Charles and Camilla snubbed by politicians during royal tour of Australia

The King and Queen are set to be snubbed by senior Australian politicians when they visit the country this week, according to reports.

Upon arrival, the King will be formally welcomed by the country’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

But the snubbing by state premiers has been heavily criticised by some sections of the Australian media, and re-opened debates about the country’s relationship with the British monarchy.

Victoria’s state premier Jacinta Allan was the latest leader to confirm she will not be attending, but told reporters in a press conference she was ‘very pleased that King Charles is visiting Australia’.

When asked about her views on Australia becoming a republic, she said it was ‘something I would support but it is not something that is a top priority for me right now’.

Her comments follow a similar move made by South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, who blamed a regional cabinet meeting for his absence, and Queensland’s Steven Miles, who will reportedly be concentrating on his election campaign.

A recent poll in the Australian Daily Telegraph suggests around 33% of the public would like to see Australia become a republic, while 45% believe they should remain a monarchy.

‘It’s time for Australia to elect a local to serve as our head of state. Someone who can work for Australia full time,’ spokesman Isaac Jeffrey told the BBC.

In an exchange of letters with the Republican Movement, the King said the issue of whether Australia becomes a republic is a ‘matter for the Australian public to decide’.

The King and Queen will be away for 11 days, with the tour lasting nine days with two days of travel on either side.