London: Queen Elizabeth believes Australia's policy of waiting until her death before reconsidering a republic is untenable, according to a new book examining her reign.

Queen of the World, written by the British author and royal reporter Robert Hardman, says the Queen's view is that, if Australia wants to be a republic, it should "get on with it" rather than "this lingering deathwatch".

"That would be untenable for the Prince of Wales, untenable for the Queen and untenable for the country itself, because obviously, they'd be looking at their watches waiting for her to pass away," Hardman writes, citing a palace official.

A new book claims Queen Elizabeth is bemused by Australia's attitude towards becoming a republic. Credit:AP

"The palace view was: 'You've got to name a date because we can't have this lingering 'deathwatch.'