Susie O’Brien: I’m a republican. Even I think Jacinta Allan should meet with the King

Premier Jacinta Allan turned down an invite to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla — and the right royal snub should come as an embarrassment to every Victorian.

Who cares about cabinet meetings when the King’s in town?

Premier Jacinta Allan should dust off her evening gown and gloves, practice her curtsy and fly to Canberra to pay her respects to King Charles and Queen Camilla. But she, and all other state leaders, are staying home instead.

The right royal snub, which has been reported in the UK as a “slap in the face” for the royals, is an embarrassment for every Victorian.

Premier Jacinta Allan, along with other state premiers, offered a limp shopping list of excuses for royally snubbing the King and Queen. Picture: David Beach

I am a proud republican, but even I believe the king and his queen deserve more respect from Australia’s state premiers.

Instead of taking the opportunity to meet the new sovereign, who’s flying all this way in the middle of cancer treatment, the state leaders offered a limp shopping list of excuses.

Allan, NSW Premier Chris Minns and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas all have cabinet meetings, Queensland Premier Steven Miles is too busy trying to win an election and WA’s Premier Roger Cook has “other commitments”.

Even Tinder dates who change their mind come up with more inventive reasons not to turn up to a social engagement.

The only legitimate no-show is Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who is on a US trade mission.

The tour dates have been in the royal diary for months, so it’s a pretty poor effort from our politicians.

There is no doubt the monarchy is struggling through a deep crisis. The younger royals are popular as celebrities, but not as heads of state. And King Charles has always been less popular than his mother and doesn’t have the same political or personal pull.

Compare his first tour as king to his mother’s triumphant appearance as a new monarch exactly 70 years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Government House, Melbourne, during her tour of Australia, March 1954. Picture: Getty Images

Although King Charles’ cancer treatment and age have been credited with curtailing his itinerary, the difference between the two tours could not be more stark.

Queen Elizabeth came for more than two months and visited 57 towns by car, plane, ship and train, including Sale, Benalla, Geelong and Warburton.

Her son will be here for less than a week and will only visit ACT and NSW. The themes of his visit include sustainability, literacy, climate change and Indigenous culture.

Despite this, he is our head of state, and until we become a republic, King Charles deserves to be treated with more dignity.

Premiers should fly to Canberra to meet him and do the jobs they are handsomely paid to do.

Originally published as Susie O’Brien: I’m a republican. Even I think Jacinta Allan should meet with the King