Prince Charles wanted Oz to be a republic

Prince Charles wanted Australia to be a republic, says a new book.

London: Prince Charles, who`s no stranger to courting controversy with his anti-establishment views, has claimed that the British Royal Family is past its sell-by date and Australia should be made a republic, says a new book. According to the book, the King-in-waiting made the comments in 1977 during a tour where he told guests he couldn`t understand "why Australia bothered with us -- we are really yesterday`s news", a news daily reported.

The book, containing the comments of Charles, then 18, is penned by Australian media mogul Harry Miller who was the then Chairman of the British Queen`s Silver Jubilee committee. Charles, who turned 61 yesterday, toured Canada and Australia in 1977 to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Miller, a promoter and publicist known as Australia`s Max Clifford, writes: "I distinctly remember one dinner party we had in his honour, when Prince Charles and Michael Kirby (a former Australian High Court judge) were discussing monarchy. "Charles` line of argument was he couldn`t understand `why Australia bothered with us -- we really are yesterday`s news`." Pressed on what he remembered of the conversation, Miller told the British newspaper that the Prince was "quite strident" in his views. "What he was saying was that Australia should be a republic and it was really... to be kow-towing to the British monarchy," Miller recalled. Miller has also claimed in his book, `Confessions Of A Not-So-Secret Agent`, that Charles bedded a string of local girls during his visit -- including the daughter of a noted Australian politician. Bureau Report