|
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy |
Event News
Media Releases
Opinion
About ACM
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy is the nation's oldest and largest organisation dedicated to the defence of our constitutional system of government.
Newsbytes
Hollywood gives the Royals the royal treatment 1
Vancouver Sun, 2 August 2011
Tinseltown is enamoured with Kate and William, and honours them as best they can - with a show.It was a reception worthy of a once and future king, even though the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would devote all of 48 hours to La La Land. "It was the first time I've seen major stars be like little schoolkids, going, 'Um, when would it be a good time to say hello?'" The Mentalist's Owain Yeoman told People magazine, but at least Yeoman walked away with something tangible.
Not a knighthood, by any means, or even a passel of property, but a title of a kind: an honour at a British Academy of Film and Television Arts event on July 9.
The newlyweds took Hollywood by gentle storm. Their visit was viewed in largely positive terms, a sign that, even in an age of lowered standards and lessened expectations, William and Kate's visit reminded one and all what the ideal should look like. William is perceived as an upright young man who fulfils his regal duty with grace and dignity, and, better yet, a regular dude. And so it seems only fitting that Hollywood repay the kindness of William and Kate's visit the only way Hollywood knows how: with a made-for-TV movie.
William&Catherine: A Royal Romance will air on the Hallmark Channel on Aug. 27, featuring an international cast of U.S., Canadian and British actors in roles familiar to anyone who has followed the Royal Family over the past several decades.
And why not? More U.S. viewers watched Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, after all, than they did Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding in 1981.
Why, 22.8 million U.S. viewers watched at least some of the coverage of the actual wedding, which aired live on no fewer than 11 channels, from BBC America - understandable - to CNN, Fox News, MSNBC to, less understandably, perhaps, TLC and Spanish-language Univision.
That's fewer viewers than might tune in to watch the finale of American Idol, but still. It was first thing in the morning, remember, between 6 and 7: 15 a.m. EST, even earlier on the west coast.
Isn't it all a bit much?
Forsooth, no, London, Ont.'s Victor Garber insisted to reporters here.
Garber plays Prince Charles in the Hallmark TV version.
Jane Alexander plays Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; Jean Smart plays Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall.
Twenty-three-year-old English rose Alice St. Clair and newcomer Dan Amboyer play the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The film follows their romance from the moment Prince William, then in his freshman year at Scotland's St. Andrews University, first met Kate Middleton.
St. Clair, born in the U.K., came to the role honestly, after a fashion: Her father is an Earl and, coincidentally, in charge of Queen Elizabeth's security detail. His work is not a subject for conversation around the family dinner table, however.
"He's discreet," St. Clair said, with characteristic British understatement. "You know, we don't really talk about his job. I tried to nudge him but, sadly, you know, he's quiet."
Her father was excited for her, though, St. Clair said, and pleased as punch when his daughter won the role.
For his part, Garber hasn't met too many Royals in his time, but was more than willing to play one on TV.
"I haven't met them," Garber said, keeping a straight face, "but I feel like should have. I should have been invited there. But never have."
Garber believes the recent royal wedding restored some of the lustre to the crown.
He hopes, too, that A Royal Romance will help humanize the father-and-son relationship between Prince Charles and William.
"I think that, because enough time has passed since the tragedy of Diana's death, they're being seen in a different way," Garber said, of Charles and Diana.
Prince Charles was vilified in some quarters, Garber believes. Unfairly so.
"They both were, to an unfair degree. Again, over time, I think that has softened. Cer-
tainly, my opinion of him has changed somewhat, having played him and listened to him.
I think he's kind of an amazing guy, actually."
A Royal Romance doesn't pretend to be a documentary, Garber said, or even a realityTV show. "We can't ever really know what goes on behind closed doors. This is fiction.
This is made up. Obviously, it's been researched. But the actual dialogue - you can never know what really happens. "
The Duke and Duchess's visit to Canada earlier this year filled Garber with a certain patriotic pride, he admitted.
"I'm not like one of those flagwaving Canadians, but I do love that they went there. I love the way they handled themselves.
I thought that was brilliantly accomplished, the whole trip from Canada to America. Every clip I saw, I thought: Wow, they really seem so much more poised and so much more comfortable in the roles they have taken on - she, in particular.
William, as well. I thought they were magnificent. I'm a big fan of them. Big fan."
Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall marry in Edinburgh 115
Casino Times, 6 August 2011
The dashing groom is a rugby star well known to the general public after captaining the England Rugby team several times during his illustrious career. They met in 2003 while in Australia at a time when Tindall was captaining the team during an international. They have been in a relationship ever since and several of his rugby colleagues were said to have been at the wedding to celebrate with the happy couple. This modern Royal couple are putting off their honeymoon due to their commitments to their sports. Zara Phillips, who plans on keeping her maiden name for sporting events, has European equestrian trials and Tindall has an international against Wales. .
Australian Guests Enjoyed Royal Wedding 139
The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 April 2011, by Tom Wald and Andrew Drummond
It was the third time in a two-night stay in London that Ms Gillard faced a key player in the monarchy, having met with Prince Charles on the eve of the wedding and shaken hands with second-in-line to the throne, William, at the reception.Ms Gillard's office said Friday's discussions between the women focused on the Queen's upcoming trip to Perth in October to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The visit may be the 85-year-old Queen's last trip to Australia."The prime minister told the Queen the people of Australia were excited by the news that the Queen would be coming to attend the meeting," a government spokeswoman told AAP in a statement.
Ms Gillard - accompanied by her partner Tim Mathieson - clearly enjoyed herself at the wedding, the grandest royal event in three decades."It is amazing," she said after returning to Buckingham Palace following the wedding ceremony.
Governor-General Quentin Bryce, who attended the wedding with her husband Michael, said watching the young couple complete their vows in the famous gothic church became all a bit too much for her.Asked if she shed a tear because of the occasion, she replied: "Yes it did (get to me), I felt quite some emotion."She found the moment that Catherine's father Michael Middleton lifted his daughter's veil to be particularly touching."Those things touch your heart and we share them in every single family."
Mrs Bryce said she was ready for the inevitable question when she returned home to Australia."I wanted to take in every single aspect and store them in my memory to share when I get home," she said."I know everyone will be saying to me: `What was it like?'"
Australian High Commissioner to the UK John Dauth, who previously held positions as assistant press secretary to the Queen and press secretary to Prince Charles, also attended the wedding of William's parents in 1981."It was a very happy day then and it was a very happy day today."
Friends of the bride's family, from the Berkshire region west of London, were seated not far from Mr Dauth in a section of the abbey known as Poets' Corner.The guests, who included the operator of the Middleton family's local pub, the butcher and owners of Bucklebury township's shop, "seemed happy as Larry",
Mr Dauth said.Olympic champion Ian Thorpe also made the guest list after lunching with Prince William during his private visit to Australia last year."We were talking about the charity work that we did and it really struck a chord with the prince and he took a great interest in the area that I work in which is indigenous health and education in Australia," Thorpe said."Since then we've had some correspondence and it was an absolute pleasure to be invited to the wedding."
Another Australian - ex-Irish Guards officer, Ed Dawson-Damer, who was Equerry to the Queen Mother in the 1980s - was also invited.Despite a strong republican sentiment in Australia, many took time to celebrate the wedding with parties.
Poll a blow to republican cause, say monarchists
The Australian, 25 April 2011
MONARCHISTS have seized on a special Newspoll showing a 17-year-low in support for an Australian republic as a major setback for the republican cause.
Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy convenor Professor David Flint said the ambivalence of young people on the question of a republic showed fundamental constitutional change was becoming increasingly unlikely.
“This weakness in the youth vote must be so disappointing to the republicans,” Professor Flint said.
But Australian Republican Movement chairman Michael Keating said interest in the royals did not preclude support for an Australian head of state.
“When these polls are put out at times like a week before this royal wedding, it is likely that the readings are not going to be particularly consistent,” the retired major general told the ABC.
However, it put support for a republic at 48 per cent under Prince Charles as king.
According to the poll, conducted exclusively for The Australian this month, overall support for a republic is 10 points below a pre-referendum peak of 51 per cent, and at its lowest level since March 1994.
Professor Flint said the poll reflected a long-term trend.
“There is the royal wedding (coming up) but I think the trend was there even before the wedding,” he said.
“It's not as though it's suddenly swung the polls.”
Professor Flint said republicans were wrong to think Prince Charles would be “the silver bullet that drops the republic in their laps”, predicting an “enormous retrospective” on Queen Elizabeth's rein after it ended.
Major General Keating said the succession would only reinforce the need for an Australian head of state.
“The real issue of course is that we don't have any choice,” he said.
“As a constitutional monarchy, we have as our head of state whoever is next in line in the Windsor family.
“And that is what the republic is about. We don't want that. We want it to be about us, not about the Windsor family.”
Vale Alan Fitzgerald: Chairman, ACT & Region Branch, ACM 141
31 March 2011
Author and journalist Alan Fitzgerald has died after a long battle with cancer. The 75-year-old died in Canberra about 11.15am today. Fitzgerald, who regularly contributed to ABC radio programs, had become increasingly ill on Monday and was admitted to a palliative care centre where he died. He had a long and distinguished career in journalism and was president of the National Press Club for two years. Fitzgerald had strong ties to the ACT and in 1967 was elected to the ACT Advisory Council, which preceded the current Legislative Assembly. He was elected on a joke platform, promising "to do nothing". At the next election in 1970 he was re-elected with around 20 per cent of the vote. He attracted more support than the Liberal candidates. Julian Fitzgerald says his father was passionate about politics and the development of Canberra. "He had a great love for understanding how politics worked and he devoted his degree at ANU in political science and English literature," he said. "And almost to the day he died, he was reading newspapers and listening to current affairs and he had a great love and passion for politics." Fitzgerald was also a member and chairman of the local branch of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy. ABC
ACT Convenor's Column
History of ACM ACT & Region Branch
Formation
The ACT Branch of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy was the first one formed after the national organisation in May 1993 at a meeting called at the Academy of Science. More than 130 people attended the meeting, and $1,400 was raised to fund the branch‘s activities.
The speakers that night were Lloyd Waddy, national convenor, Alan Fitzgerald, Prof Arthur Burns and Malcolm Mackerras.
The branch insisted on electing its Council rather than allow the national body to impose one on us. Membership grew to more than 900 members.
The branch became a major fund raiser for the national body with meetings, seminars, cocktail parties, morning teas and a series of lunches at the Canberra Yacht Club with distinguished guest speakers.
The branch soon opened a full time office in Garema Place for a year through the generosity of a Greek Australian businessmen which provided information on the constitutional issue and sold items of interest.
The Civic office was officially inaugurated by Sir Harry Gibbs, former Chief Justice of the High Justice of the High Court of Australia.
After a year the Branch moved to the old National Party HQ at Barton, again rent free, and to then National Press Club where we paid rent. Finally the branch moved into the new National Party Building at Barton rent free, where a roster of volunteers provided a service to members and persons from around Australia seeking information .
Convenor Alan Fitzgerald was invited to address an ACM meeting at State Parliament House, Sydney and at Wagga Wagga and other regional areas.
The election to the 1998 Constitutional Convention was hard fought and a close run thing, with Alan Fitzgerald missing out on a seat after the final distribution of preferences.
During the convention Alan Fitzgerald worked as a media liaison officer for ACM with the English media, and arranged press conferences for delegates during the convention’s proceedings.
Sir David Smith attended the convention as an appointed delegate.
The ACM ACT Council included Sir David Smith, Valerie Campbell, Gwenyth George, Captain Bill Owen, all of whom worked tirelessly during the run-up to the referendum.
Young members of ACM celebrating a famous victory on the night of the referendum where showered with beer bottles thrown at them from the balcony of the National Press Club by disappointed republicans.
ARA threat
A week after the referendum, Alan Fitzgerald received a threatening letter from the Australian Republican Army in Melbourne:”“WE the members of the Australian Republican Army (ALA) are informing you that we are hold you personally responsible for the negative republic referendum result on Saturday 6 November due to your treacherous lies and deceitful un- Australian and behaviour.
As such as we will of today be beginning a campaign of terror and intimidation against you, the members of your family and your pro-British, anti-Australian organisation.
WE know where you and your members of your members and live, and where you and where members of your family work, and we are not afraid to take action. You have been. warned.
Welcome
Welcome to the website of the ACT and Region Branch of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. The Branch serves the Canberra, Yass, Cooma, Braidwood and Goulburn districts.
The mission of ACM Australia-wide is:
To preserve, to protect and to defend our heritage: the Australian constitutional system, the role of the Crown in it and our Flag.
The ACT and Region Branch has worked hard in support of this mission since its establishment in 1998. It made an important contribution to the successful defence of Australia’s constitutional monarchy in the 1999 referendum. The Branch ran a vigorous local campaign both before and on referendum day in support of the retention of the system of government that has served Australia so well for well over a century.
The core objectives of the Branch, as set out in its new corporate plan, are:
- To promote to the ACT and Region community (which includes the Canberra, Yass, Cooma, Braidwood&Goulburn districts), an understanding of the Australian Constitution and system of constitutional monarchy and their inherent values.
- To maximise the ’No’ vote in any future plebiscite or referendum held in the ACT and Region.
The Branch is determined to maintain its capacity to mobilise opinion and resources whenever a threat next emerges to Australia’s well-tested and successful constitutional arrangements. In the interim, it will continue to promote to the community the objectives of ACM in the region.
This web-site is in the early stages of development and will grow over time to be a valuable resource for its supporters and those who want to understand more about the principles espoused by ACM.