When The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge bring baby Prince George to Sydney in April, it will be incoming Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and his wife Lynne who will be hosting them at Admiralty House. But the former Chief of the Defence Force told The Weekly today that it’s going to be a very relaxed affair giving the royal couple plenty of space to do their own thing.
“There’s sort of an arm’s distance hosting in the sense that we want them to be able to relax,” General Cosgrove explained. “So the idea would be to greet them, settle them in – but very briefly – and then leave them to enjoy the delights of Sydney.”
General Cosgrove was speaking to a small collection of Australian media including The Weekly at the Australian High Commission in his first interview since Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced his appointment. He was in London on a private trip visiting The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh with whom he and Lynne had had lunch earlier in the day.
Peter Cosgrove and The Queen
“There’s no constitutional requirement, but it is good manners, because you have a close relationship with the Monarch and it’s polite to just come and see The Queen before you assume [office],” said General Cosgrove, who also met with The Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House later in the afternoon where he was shown a collection of watercolors by Australian WWII war artist Norma Bull.
When questioned about his personal views on Australia becoming a republic, General Cosgrove said he couldn’t remember how he voted in the 1999 referendum but that he was “a staunch Australian”.
Peter Cosgrove and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
He was in no doubt that following many recent royal tours, the Australian people is extremely happy to welcome the royal family on home turf. “There may have been a period where people thought that Australia’s attention was wavering, but when the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visit and when Her Majesty visits… and when the young Princes visit… the country comes alive…There’s a buzz in the air. And I think when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge come in April, Australia will roll out the welcome mat.”
