Despite the local anti-monarchy lobby suggesting 40% of Aussies don’t realise he is their head of state, one weekend poll found the King’s popularity is soaring, says the Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers

If you ever want to find a clearer and more blatant example of political point scoring, then look no further.

We all hope, mainly in vain, for our politicians to be principled and accountable. But this collection of sorry excuses for last minute no shows is rather pathetic.

The King and Queen’s tour of Australia has been long in the planning, their visit to the capital Canberra in the diary for months.

It certainly hasn’t been sprung on unsuspecting hosts at the eleventh hour.

Yet those on display here opted for a weasel way of snubbing the royals rather than present valid and principled arguments as to why they can not welcome Charles and Camilla Down Under.

Many Aussies I have spoken to since arriving here in preparation for the royal tour have labelled this collective as “rude”, “arrogant” and “disrespectful”.

Others, even in agreement with their point of view, suggest their actions as displaying “bad manners”.

According to one major poll issued at the weekend, the King’s popularity is soaring in ,

Despite the local anti-monarchy lobby suggesting 40 per cent of Australians don’t realise that King Charles III is their Head of State, he seems to be enjoying record approval ratings.

An impressive 45 percent of Aussies say they want to keep the monarchy, while 22 per cent remain undecided.

Just one in three (33 percent) said Australia should become a republic, suggesting that support for the movement has significantly reduced from the 39.4 percent who voted that way in the 1999 referendum.

Pretty impressive stats for a monarch who the naysayers claimed would be toast after the passing of the much revered late Queen Elizabeth.

The people would have more respect for their politicians if they stood by their principles, rather than using lame excuses not befitting their office.