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The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) hailed as a victory the country’s High Court decision to lift the 31-year-long embargo on the written exchanges between the Queen, her personal secretary and the then Governor-General of Australia Sir John Kerr in 1975. The 211 letters were written in the run-up to the sacking of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 have been stored at the National Archives for more than three decades. 

Now, thanks to the High Court’s ruling, they can be examined by historians who want to make clarity on the possible role the Queen had on the removal of Mr Whitlam.

Peter FitzSimons, chair of the ARM, said in a statement: “This is a significant victory for Australian sovereignty and democracy.

“These letters provide a crucial historical context around one of the most destabilising and controversial chapters in Australian political history. 

“Australians deserve to know what was done, and by whom.

“The idea, put forward by Buckingham Palace, that such important correspondence on behalf of the Australian people was the private property of Her Majesty alone was patently absurd.

“The Palace has claimed it had no involvement in the decision. 

“This will put that to the test.”

The historian who asked the court to consider these letters state records rather than private correspondence in order to allow their release, Prof Jenny Hocking, is a National Committee Member of the ARM.

Following the ruling, she expressed her “delight”, announcing she would visit the archives first thing at the end of the pandemic to study in depth this correspondence.    

She added: “It’s a story that has been absolutely clouded in secrecy, in distortion and in so much unknown.

“With this decision, one of those last remaining areas of secrecy and great unknown will be released to the Australian public.”

Mr FitzSimons, whose non-partisan organisation campaigns for Australia to become an independent republic and to replace the Queen with an Australian head of state, added in his statement the case of these letters was proving the ARM’s point on the necessity of a republic.

He said: “We await with interest to see what the letters will reveal and what precise involvement both Her Majesty, and the heir to her throne, Prince Charles, had in The Dismissal. 

“This case highlights the ridiculousness of having an unelected British monarch involved in Australia’s affairs.”

Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the ARM’s statement when contacted by Express.co.uk.

Mr Whitlam remains to this day the only Australian Prime Minister to have been removed from office in this manner. 

At the time, his sacking sparked strikes and violent demonstrations as well as calls for Australia to review its relationship with the Crown.

However, after a few months, Australian decided to back Malcolm Fraser’s centre-right Liberal Party, who had acted until that moment as caretaker appointed by Sir John following Mr Whitlam’s sacking.

The crisis surrounding the Labour Prime Minister has become known as The Dismissal. 

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