As preparations to move the Queen’s coffin continue, more reactions are coming in from around the world. In Australia, former Prime Minister John Howard claimed the Queen once drafted a statement, which was never published, saying she supported the decision of the Australian people should they vote for a democracy. The statement was written ahead of the country’s 1999 referendum on whether to step away from the monarchy – and the Queen’s comments were prepared in case the vote was in favor of the Yes campaign, according to Howard. Speaking to the ABC, she summed up the message of the statement as follows: “I accept the result, I’ve always been of the view that this is a matter for the Australian people, but I won’t change my love… although our relationship will be different, I will I will always love Australia and I will want Australia to succeed.” However, around 55% of voters opted for the status quo – rejecting the idea of becoming a republic headed by a president and cutting ties with the British crown. “She was pleased with the outcome,” Howard said.
