PRIME Minister John Howard has ruled out Prince William as a future governor-general of Australia, saying only a long term and permanent citizen would be acceptable.
And Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has told Southern Cross radio: "There is a great place for the British royals, and it's in Britain."
According to a new biography on the future heir to the throne, Prince William harbours a desire to become Australia's next governor-general.
But Mr Howard said today that was unlikely to happen.
"We have for a long time embraced the idea that the person who occupies that post should be in every way an Australian citizen," the Prime Minister said Southern Cross radio.
Mr Rudd said there were many Australians who had contributed to the life of the nation who would be more suitable for the role, mentioning former defence chief Peter Cosgrove.
"When it comes to Prince William, he's 25 years old, I think it would be party, party, party out at Yarralumla," he said.
Mr Howard said it was unlikely the issue would arise in the near future, but Prince William did have a very special link with Australia as the second in line to the throne.
"Although I remain a supporter of our current constitutional arrangements I do think the practice of having a person who is an Australian in every way and a long-term and permanent resident of this country is a practice I would not like to see altered," he said.
Despite Prince William's own grandfather, Prince Philip, once allegedly referring to former prime minister Gough Whitlam as a "socialist arsehole", the book claims William is keen to snare the vice-regal role that eluded his father.
The future heir to the throne, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, is in search of a career.
Prince Charles has spoken in the past about his hurt and anger at being rejected by the Hawke government as a candidate for governor-general in the 1980s.
Former
Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown reveals in the new book -
The Diana Chronicles - that William would still like to claim the job for himself.
"Charles really wanted the job because he saw it as a way to get the hell out of the grip of Prince Philip and the Queen," Brown writes.
She told
The Australian Women's Weekly: "You might like to know ... it has been thought up in regard to William, too.
"Yes, they would very much like that and he would like that very much."
Bob Hawke said yesterday Prince Charles's escape plan was scotched by his government because it didn't want a "double dose" of the monarchy, given the Queen's role as head of state.
"It came up at some stage. I made it quite clear it wasn't on. We're in favour of a republic. The idea of doubling the dose ... held no appeal."
Charles wanted role
In 1994, Prince Charles detailed his flirtation with becoming governor-general in an interview with
The Australian's Paul Kelly, admitting the "splendid" atmosphere in Australia and the "give a bloke a go" outlook attracted him to the country.
But he told a different story to Jonathan Dimbleby in a celebrated television interview later that year, during which he confessed his adultery with Camilla Parker Bowles, complaining that "it's never very easy going" (to Australia) and revealing that governor-general Sir Ninian Stephen's plan to pick him as his successor was vetoed by Mr Hawke.
"So what are you supposed to think when you offer to do something to help and you're just told you're not wanted?" he complained.
Diana's "bulimic haze"
Despite Brown's book suggesting Princess Diana spent her 1983 tour to Australia in a bulimic haze, Mr Hawke said he saw little evidence.
Brown also told the
Women's Weekly that Prince Philip flew into a rage whenever the name of Mr Whitlam was mentioned, referring to him as a "socialist arsehole".
-
with The Australian
