‘It will be as though a safety net has disappeared,’ says leader as he wishes 90-year-old monarch a speedy recovery

The Australian Monarchist League has told its members to start preparing for the death of the Queen, warning it will feel “as though a safety net has disappeared”.

The league wrote to members this week under the headline “how our lives will change”. Its national chair, Philip Benwell, wished the 90-year-old monarch a speedy recovery from her lingering cold and said thought must be given to what will occur when “Her Majesty does eventually pass”.

“The Queen has been a part of the lives of all her subjects for over 60 years,” Benwell wrote. “Most were born during her reign. It will be as though a safety net has disappeared because we have always had a sort of assured faith that the Queen is there to protect us.

“That faith won’t be there when Charles becomes king because it is something that is earned and is not automatic.”



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Benwell said it would take many months for people to begin to accept a new monarch. He warned that Australia, along with other countries, would again begin talking about becoming a republic.

“This will not serve them well and is likely to turn many against them,” he said. “The fact is that we, in Australia as well as the other realms, are fortunate indeed to have as our sovereign such a devoted and conscientious head of state whose dedication to duty is unsurpassed.”

The Queen became unwell shortly before Christmas. Her illness was serious enough for her not to attend church services in the holiday period, a rarity for the monarch.