Australia should observe Commonwealth Day as a republic - like most other Commonwealth nations

Today is Commonwealth Day, a day increasingly celebrated by republics within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Of the 56 Commonwealth Nations, 36 are already republics while only 15 retain King Charles as Head of State, including Australia.

In line with recent trends, six of the 15 that retain King Charles III as Head of State have announced plans to become a republic in the coming years. These are Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Like Barbados which became a republic in 2021, they’ll remain in the Commonwealth with their own Head of State.

Australia is on track to become one of only nine nations that still retains the British Monarchy, according to Chair of the Australian Republic Movement, Craig Foster.

“The Commonwealth of Nations is a diverse association that is home to 2.5 billion people, with a strong commitment to democracy. There is a powerful movement of historical justice underway to acknowledge the impacts of colonisation and transatlantic slavery and a succession of countries pushing for complete independence across the Commonwealth" said Mr Foster.

"Indeed, some commentators in the UK are calling on the British King to make a formal apology to indigenous populations, return all artefacts and human remains and release the remaining realms from further patronage, including Australia.

“It’s no wonder then that as each year passes more and more of these nations embrace democratic reforms to remove the British Monarchy from their constitutions and place their sovereignty in the hands of their citizens.

“Democratic equality means that no-one is above anyone else and equity demands historical justice for First Nations peoples and other indigenous peoples across the Commonwealth. Monarchy is incompatible with these principles in every sense of the word.

“Further, the Commonwealth no longer sees itself rooted in the British Empire – indeed the last two nations to join were West African, former French colonies Gabon and Togo in 2022 which had no historical connection to the British Monarchy or empire at all.

"In future, our membership of the Commonwealth should represent both the process of decolonisation and historical reconciliation and proud commitment to democratic principles, both of which are irreconcilable with a foreign, royal monarch as Australian Head of State” said Mr Foster.