Welcome back to a land he loves

Australians all let us rejoice at the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla. That is “all” as in monarchists, republicans and those not much fussed one way or the other that he reigns over us.

It is hard not to like a bloke who has done a difficult job – heir apparent, then King – for a very long time, and who manifestly regards Australia as well as he clearly does. He began visiting nearly 60 years ago, to attend school, and is now on his 17th trip. At 75, and nine months after announcing a cancer diagnosis, this is a visit he clearly wanted to make.

He is also willing to put ceremony aside and deal with whatever public events present. He was kissed by a young woman in the Perth surf in 1979 and shot at (albeit with blanks from a starting pistol) in Sydney in 1994. The King also has learned to deal with the contradictions in his job, being a hereditary ruler yet needing to earn respect and endure with public equanimity decades of intrusion into his personal life, notably his failed marriage to Diana, princess of Wales.

This is not easily done. His distant predecessor, Charles I, was executed, basically for being rude and dismissive to the House of Commons.

While The Weekend Australian is staunchly republican, now is not the time to call for changes to our constitutional arrangements – the nation has had enough of referendums for now. We join with the Sydney Opera House, illuminated with images of the King’s connections to Australia, in honour of a job well done.