London: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, having met King Charles III during a private audience at Buckingham Palace, has declared he will publicly swear allegiance to the monarch during Saturday’s historic coronation.
In an interview with Sky News Australia presenter Piers Morgan, which will air in the UK at 5am AEDT, he is expected to tell the controversial host he will accept an invitation for those at the service and throughout the Commonwealth to verbally pay homage to the King.
The King greets Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Buckingham Palace.Credit: PA
Albanese was received by the King in the early hours on Wednesday morning (AEDT), having landed in Britain about 6am on Tuesday morning local time. It is the second time in six months they have met privately, having staged a similar reception ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September.
“It was pleasure to meet King Charles III again at Buckingham Palace, and an honour to represent Australia at his Coronation,” he tweeted, having earlier posted he had a “busy agenda” in the UK, which included a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, discussions on the Australia-UK free trade agreement and meetings with “other world leaders to strengthen Australia’s relationships around the world”.
Morgan tweeted late on Tuesday (AEDT) that he had interviewed Albanese in London, revealing the prime minister would swear the oath of allegiance to Charles during the two-hour service in Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
It is the first time Australians and citizens of other Commonwealth nations will be invited to actively take part in such a ceremony and raise “a chorus of millions of voices” supporting “their undoubted King, defender of all”.
Asked on Monday whether he would encourage Australians to pledge allegiance to the new King, Albanese – a republican – did not directly answer the question. Instead, he said he would like to see Charles visit Australia, and noted MPs swear allegiance to the crown when first elected. He was not asked whether he would pledge allegiance himself.
“I look forward, later tonight after I visit Darwin, I’ll be travelling to London to represent Australia at the coronation. That’s an important event. And it’s important that Australia be represented,” Albanese said.
