The monarchy of Papua New Guinea is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the head of state of Papua New Guinea. The current Papua New Guinean monarch and head of state, since , is . As monarch, he is the personal embodiment of the Papua New Guinean Crown. Although the person of the monarch is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled of Papua New Guinea and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Papua New Guinea. However, the is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
All executive authority is formally vested in the monarch; however, the authority for these acts stems from the country’s populace, in which sovereignty is vested, and the monarch’s direct participation in governance is limited. Most of the powers are exercised by the elected members of parliament, the National Executive Council generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges on the bench.
The Crown today primarily functions as a guarantor of continuous and stable governance and a nonpartisan safeguard against the abuse of power. While some powers are exercisable only by the monarch, most of the monarch's operational and ceremonial duties are exercised by his representative, the governor-general of Papua New Guinea.
History
The first European attempt at colonisation was made in 1793 by Lieutenant John Hayes, a British naval officer, near Manokwari, now in Papua province, Indonesia. It was the Dutch, however, who claimed the western half of the island as part of the Dutch East Indies in 1828; their control remained nominal until 1898, when their first permanent administrative posts were set up at Fakfak and Manokwari.
In 1884, Germany formally took possession of the northeast quarter of the island and it became known as German New Guinea. In 1884, a British protectorate was proclaimed over Papua – the southern coast of New Guinea. The protectorate, called British New Guinea, was annexed outright on 4 September 1888 and possession passed to the newly federated Commonwealth of Australia in 1902 and British New Guinea became the Australian Territory of Papua, with Australian administration beginning in 1906. During the First World War, Australian forces displaced the German authorities on New Guinea, and the arrangement was formalised in 1921, when Australian control of the northeastern quadrant of the island was mandated by the League of Nations.
In 1945, Australia combined its administration of Papua and that of the former mandate into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, which it administered from Canberra via Port Moresby. From 1946, Australia managed the New Guinea (eastern) half as a United Nations trust territory. General elections for a House of Assembly were held in 1964, 1968, and 1972; self-government was achieved on 1 December 1973, and full independence from Australia on 16 September 1975.
Road to independent monarchy In February 1974, a year after self-government and discussions gathered momentum on the question for a date for independence, Queen Elizabeth II of Australia visited Papua New Guinea. In a speech before a crowd of 25,000 people, the Queen said, "The movement towards independence has been gaining speed in recent years and the decisive moment is not far off". She continued: "As Queen of Australia I can assure you of continuing friendship and assistance as you set out on the path of independent nationhood". Chief Minister Michael Somare in his speech reaffirmed Papua New Guinea's desire and hope to join the Commonwealth of Nations upon independence. However, there was no indication of a continuing role for the Queen in independent Papua New Guinea when, in April 1975, it was decided that the head of state was to be a citizen of the country, who would be chosen by secret ballot.
On 5 May 1975, it was announced that Papua New Guinea would join the Commonwealth upon independence, with Somare aspiring to make the new nation a republic. However, on 19 May, it was suddenly announced that the Cabinet would propose to the Constituent Assembly that the Queen become head of state. The Cabinet statement stated that continued ties with the Queen would give a "sense of security to a significant section of the community", as the early years of independence would be "years of adjustment and settling down", with the position to be reviewed after three years. Though the decision delighted some people in centres and villages, protests were lodged by university students and some opposition members. In the House of Assembly, Somare urged politicians not to shame the country by using the Queen as a political football. He said that the Queen's position as head of state would not undermine the country's sovereignty or independence, and the framework would help the country in its dealings with other members of the Commonwealth. The government also wished to retain all the traditional knighthoods and decorations. Groups from various parts of the country voiced their support for Somare's decision.
On 5 June 1975, the Constituent Assembly rejected by 57 votes to 26 an amendment to the draft constitution which would have made Papua New Guinea a republic upon independence. On 15 August 1975, the Constituent Assembly formally adopted the Constitution, invited the Queen to become head of state and asked her to accept Parliament's nomination of John Guise as governor-general of Papua New Guinea. According to the Queen's then-private secretary, Martin Charteris, the Queen was "both tickled and touched" and she accepted the role straight away. According to historian Robert Hardman, Papua New Guinea is the one part of the world where the Queen was "an elected monarch". The Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea also states that the Queen had been requested by the people of Papua New Guinea, through their Constituent Assembly, to become their Queen and Head of State; and she "graciously consented" so to become. Papua New Guinea was thus the first Commonwealth realm to have specifically requested that Queen Elizabeth II become its monarch.
At the independence celebrations in 1975, the Queen was represented by her son, Charles, Prince of Wales (later Charles III). On the eve of independence, the Australian flag was lowered ceremonially for the last time and presented to Australian Governor-General Sir John Kerr. "We are lowering the flag – not tearing it down", said John Guise, the Governor-General designate of Papua New Guinea. At 12.01 am, on 16 September, Guise, in a broadcast to the nation, declared: "Papua New Guinea is now independent". Later the same day, the Prince of Wales opened the first parliament in Port Moresby.
The Papua New Guinean Crown and its aspects
Papua New Guinea is one of fifteen independent nations, known as Commonwealth realms, which shares its monarch with other realms in the Commonwealth of Nations, with the monarch's relationship with Papua New Guinea completely independent from his position as monarch of any other realm. Despite sharing the same person as their respective monarch, each of the Commonwealth realms — including Papua New Guinea — is sovereign and independent of the others. The monarch is represented by a viceroy—the governor-general of Papua New Guinea—in the country.History and present Government
Since the independence of Papua New Guinea in 1975, the pan-national Crown has had both a shared and a separate character and the monarch's role as monarch of Papua New Guinea is distinct to his or her position as monarch of any other realm, including the United Kingdom.Queen and Papua New Guinea The monarchy thus ceased to be an exclusively British institution and in Papua New Guinea became a Papua New Guinean, or "domesticated" establishment.
This division is illustrated in a number of ways: The monarch, for example, holds a unique Papua New Guinean title and, when he is acting in public specifically as a representative of Papua New Guinea, he uses, where possible, symbols of Papua New Guinea, including the country's national flag, unique royal symbols, and the like. Also, only Papua New Guinean government ministers can advise the monarch on matters of the country.
Title
Upon independence in 1975, the Constitution granted Elizabeth II separate style and titles in her role as Head of State of Papua New Guinea. Under section 85 of the Constitution, the Queen's royal style and titles in relation to Papua New Guinea were: Elizabeth II, Queen of Papua New Guinea and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.
Since the accession of Charles III, the monarch's title is: Charles III, King of Papua New Guinea and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.
This style communicates Papua New Guinea's status as an independent monarchy, highlighting the monarch's role specifically as Head of State of Papua New Guinea, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the realms, by mentioning Papua New Guinea separately from the other Commonwealth realms. Typically, the monarch is styled "King of Papua New Guinea" and is addressed as such when in Papua New Guinea, or performing duties on behalf of the country abroad.
Colloquially, Queen Elizabeth II was referred to as Misis Kwin ("Mrs. Queen"), Mama Kwin, Sina Bada, Big Mum, and Mama belong big family in the creole language of Tok Pisin.
Oath of allegiance As the embodiment of the state, the monarch is the locus of oaths of allegiance. This is done in reciprocation to the monarch's Coronation Oath, wherein they promise to govern the peoples of their realms, "according to their respective laws and customs".
The oath of allegiance in Papua New Guinea is:
Succession
The constitution provides that Queen Elizabeth II's heirs shall succeed her as head of state. Like some realms, Papua New Guinea defers to United Kingdom law to determine the line of succession.
Succession is by absolute primogeniture governed by the provisions of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, as well as the Act of Settlement, 1701, and the Bill of Rights, 1689. This legislation limits the succession to the natural (i.e. non-adopted), legitimate descendants of Sophia, Electress of Hanover, and stipulates that the monarch cannot be a Roman Catholic, and must be in communion with the Church of England upon ascending the throne. Though these constitutional laws, as they apply to Papua New Guinea, still lie within the control of the British parliament, both the United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea cannot change the rules of succession without the unanimous consent of the other realms, unless explicitly leaving the shared monarchy relationship; a situation that applies identically in all the other realms, and which has been likened to a treaty amongst these countries.Justice Rouleau in a 2003 court ruling wrote that "Union under the ... Crown together with other Commonwealth countries [is a] constitutional principle". O’Donohue v. Canada, 2003 CanLII 41404 (ON S.C.)
Upon a demise of the Crown (the death or abdication of a monarch), it is customary for the accession of the new monarch to be publicly proclaimed by the governor-general in the capital, Port Moresby, after the accession. Regardless of any proclamations, the late monarch's heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony. An appropriate period of mourning also follows, during which flags across the country are flown at half-mast to honour the late monarch.PNG to mark Independence with sorrow The day of the funeral is likely to be a public holiday.