Former Australian leader says Meghan and Harry’s interview strengthens case to sever ties with British monarchy

Sydney, Australia – Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told television interview with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, strengthened her argument for Australia to sever its constitutional ties with the British monarchy. Turnbull met the couple in April 2018, four months before he was replaced by current Prime Minister Scott Morrison in an internal power struggle.

“It’s clearly an unhappy family or at least Meghan and Harry are unhappy. It sounds very sad,” Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“After the end of the queen’s reign, this is the time for us to say: Okay, we have passed that river basin. Do we really want to have anyone who happens to be the head of state – the king or queen of the United Kingdom? , automatically our head of state? “Turnbull added.

In the couple’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said she hoped to serve as a beacon of hope for blacks everywhere, but especially in the Commonwealth nations – many of them in Africa – signaling acceptance in the highest echelon of British society and power. . .

The Duchess said she was devastated by the lack of support she received from the royal family, however, while facing mental health issues and on numerous occasions, both she and Harry made it clear that they felt that there were racial substances for this treatment.

The British Commonwealth

Australia is one of just over 50 countries that, although independent, have chosen to maintain a close partnership and cooperation with Britain after eliminating the colonial rule imposed centuries ago during the reign of the British Empire.

As a member of this British Commonwealth, Australia continues to recognize the British monarch as its official head of state, although neither Queen Elizabeth II nor the British government play any real role in governing the former colony, which gained independence. with 100 years.

Turnbull was a leading advocate for Australia to elect an Australian citizen as its head of state when he was president of the Australian Republican Movement from 1993 to 2000.

A referendum for Australia to become a republic was defeated in 1999, despite opinion polls showing that most Australians believed their country should have an Australian head of state.

Many supporters of an Australian republic want an American system in which the president is popularly elected, rather than playing a leading role, as proposed in 1999.

Morrison was not questioned about the royal interview during a press conference on Tuesday.