The news that Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Phillip will visit Australia in October is a rare occasion. The Queen took the throne as a very young woman and she has served with distinction during a very long life - and during that time she has visited this country just sixteen times.
The reason for this visit to Perth is to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting ( CHOGM ) which will be a meeting of most of the leaders of countries that form our Commonwealth of nations.
Queen Elizabeth has led an exemplary life. Despite scandals and divorces by other members of the royal family she has performed peerlessly in her job - and she has the affection of most of her subjects. What is in question is the continuation of a distant head of state once her reign finally ends.
The citizens of Australia were once primarily sourced from England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales. There was a strong link to the United Kingdom - and in those days all Australians had an automatic right of entry to that home country.
Times have changed. The United Kingdom is now a member of the European Union. Citizens of a host of European countries enter Britain without the need of a visa. Australians are required to form a line under a sign that describes them as " foreigners ".
The mix of nationalities that is Australia is no longer so heavily " British " ! With it comes the question of why we maintain a woman who rarely visits this country as our head of state ?
That question will probably lay dormant while Queen Elizabeth enjoys her final years, but it will certainly resurrect once she is deceased.
She will be warmly welcomed in Perth this October - but it seems that the days of a distant monarchy are coming to an end. It may well be that Elizabeth II may be the last queen of Australia.
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