08/09/2026
Four years ago today, Australia lost the only reigning monarch most Australians had ever known.
Queen Elizabeth II's passing on 8 September 2022 brought to an end one of the longest periods of public service in modern history.
In Australia's official tribute, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reflected on a reign characterised by duty, family, faith and service, and described Her Majesty as a reassuring constant during decades of extraordinary change.
That continuity was particularly significant in Australia.
Her reign stretched from the Australia of Sir Robert Menzies to the Australia of the twenty-first century. Across those decades, our democratic institutions evolved, our society changed, and our national identity matured.
The Queen did not direct Australia's day-to-day government.
Under Australia's system of responsible government, ministers accountable to Parliament have day-to-day responsibility for governing, while the Crown's constitutional functions are principally exercised by the Governor-General, normally on ministerial advice.
It is one of the defining characteristics of constitutional monarchy: elected governments conduct the political contest and exercise day-to-day political leadership, while the Crown provides constitutional continuity beyond party politics.
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Share this with an Australian, at home or overseas, who remembers Her late Majesty's remarkable reign.
