Confusion reigns over correct form of King Charles’ Australian title

King Charles’ Australian title is inconsistent with that of all other realms yet the Australian government will not correct it

Queen Camilla and King Charles at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Picture: Getty Images

A new proclamation correcting ­errors in the styling of King Charles’s Australian title, signed by the monarch and countersigned by the Prime Minister, will not be made during the royal visit despite there being an inconsistency with all other realms.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet told The Australian there was “no need to issue a new proclamation while the King is in Australia”, yet the proclamation and the department’s website have different versions of the King’s official title.

The monarch’s title, according to a proclamation issued on September 11, 2022, is: “King Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and his other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.”

However, the department’s website and official information and guides for the current royal visit lists the monarch’s title as: “Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.”

There is a refusal by the ­department to acknowledge the inconsistency with the proclamation beginning “King Charles” while its website begins with “Charles”.

All other statements and documents issued by the royal family and the Australian government use “Charles” rather than “King Charles” as his title.

The department, eager to avoid this controversy, falsely claimed the proclamation for the King “is in the correct form and is consistent” with that for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. But her official title in both the 1953 and 1973 Style and Titles Acts began with “Elizabeth” not “Queen ­Elizabeth”.

Her official title, following the adoption of the Royal Style and ­Titles Act 1973 was: “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.”

No other realm uses “King Charles” at the beginning of the official title. Indeed, the House of Commons guide for the monarch’s title is that it begins with “Charles” not “King Charles”. A listing of all of the King’s titles shows no other realm, from Canada and New Zealand to Grenada and Jamaica, and to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and ­Tuvalu, uses “King Charles” in the official title.

The Australian previously ­reported that the Albanese government backtracked on introducing a new royal style and titles act even though Anthony Albanese signed and agreed with a minute noting that new legislation would be required to give the King’s ­Australian title legal force. His department later advised that no new legislation would be ­needed, contradicting its earlier advice, and ignoring precedent followed with legislation adopted for the Australian title used by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and 1973.

The King’s incorrect title in the proclamation and lack of a new or revised style and titles act is an ­embarrassment for the Australian government on his first royal visit as monarch and the failure to correct it only underscores this.