Royal tour commentary: this royal renaissance has nothing to do with PR spin

 
Easter bunny: Prince George looks at an Australian animal called a Bilby with his parents (Picture: AP)

Timing is everything they say. And there is now doubt that on this Royal tour to Australia that the starring role of Prince George have been right on cue.

The "Republican Slayer" as even anti-royalists Down Under have dubbed the little prince after his starring role, has put the cause for ditching the monarchy here back years.

As his mother and father spent a night away from his - sleeping under the stars tonight at a "glamping" resort in the shadow of Uluru itself, leaving him in the care of his Spanish nanny back in Canberra, all the talk has been about the impact of "Prince of Cuteness" after photos of him and a Bilby - a Australian marsupial - at Sydney's Taronga Zoo went around the world.

Even Geoff Gallop, of the Australian Republican Movement, admitted, albeit grudgingly, live on air on the biggest television network here that the Royal Family have a "pretty good" PR machine.

But well as Kensington Palace Communications Secretary Dr. Ed Perkins and his team have undoubtedly done on this one in a generation tour, arranging picture perfect photo opportunities, this royal renaissance has nothing to do with spin.

It is the principals, particularly Prince William, who are driving this unique, new style royal roadshow.

Prince William holds Prince George as Kate gives him a commemorative card (Picture: AP)

This Royal Visit to Australia, and earlier to New Zealand, has given Prince William's "New Royal Family" a chance to show his brand of royalty - a new style for a new generation.

The crowds Down Under have been big and the reception warm' genuine and vocal.

It has given the future King and his dutiful and beautiful wife The Duchess of Cambridge and their little show stopper Prince George, an opportunity to show off their own style in public too.

This tour in my view, has at last, put clear water between them and the past.

All the talk before they came here was of comparisons to the "Charles and Di" tour of 1983.

Would Catherine live up to Diana's style? Would the crowds compare?

In truth as soon as they arrived at Sydney Airport babe in arms and wowed the significant at Sydney Opera House the comparisons just stopped.

For me it was a watershed moment.

A new younger generation of Australians clearly want to keep the monarchy.

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More than 60 per cent of younger Australians - 18 to 24 year olds - many who were just children when Diana tragically died in Paris in 1997, want William and Catherine as a future King and Queen.

The unsubtle Diana/Catherine comparisons obviously and understandably rankle the principals, just a little.

For clearly on this and future "Cambridge" tours, William supported by Catherine, will do it his way."

The Cambridge brand is a curious hybrid or formality and photo-led more populist events.

The Duke wants to carve out his own style, a distinct style unlike that of his grandmother The Queen and unlike that of The Prince of Wales and his brother Harry too and certainly different to the Diana days.

The nature of events on this two country tour has shown William's passion for conservation, devotion to supporting the military at home and in Commonwealth realms. There is too the support their own charitable patronages, such as Catherine's for Children's Hospices that have been at the fore.

So while comparisons with the "Diana days" may irritate, as media push more for similar shots, this couple will continue on their path - and with the blessing of The Queen.

It is all, I understand part, part of a considered development of Prince William as he searches to find his style and develop his character and own role.

In many ways there is a lot of the "old fashioned" the way they do things; a back to the future monarchy - less Charles and Diana, more The Queen and Prince Philip on their grand Commonwealth tour of 1953-1954.

Like the Queen - and unlike Charles and even Prince Harry - William has not done any TV interviews on this trip. His words and views are stated in his speeches, that have become more smoothly delivered, more interesting, more personal in their content.

Grand formal "tiara moment" glamorous events meeting the great and the good of a country have also been subtly avoided.

Happy: the Kate, George and William (Picture: Getty)

A trip to Royal Randwick racecourse where the Queen's horse Carlton House was running in the second biggest race in the Australian calendar was sidestepped too.

Instead on a night off the royal couple took their team for down time at an evening rugby match

That is not to say that there won't be a "tiara moments" - more formal moments - for Catherine on future tours.

Mr Gallop, a respectful and erudite man, acknowledges the republican movement have to restate their argument.

He said they have to too get main stream political support.

That is not on the agenda.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a Liberal and staunch monarchist, has made great hay from this royal visit.

He has been one step behind the royal couple on many of the engagements - introducing them to his favourite Beach Manly, where still surfs and joining them for an Anglican Easter Sunday Service, despite being a Catholic himself.

But the monarchy should not be complacent.

Mr. Gallop is right when he say opinions polls are fickle, they often depend on what questions are asked.

Still the Charles and Camilla factor is an issue.

All smiles: William and George (Picture: Getty)

Republicans believe that if the question was asked: "Should we have an elected Head of State when the next British Monarch comes to the throne?" - they would win the argument.

I was covering the royal tour to Australia when Prince Charles and Camilla visited in 2012.

The welcome was warm, but much more subdued than this visit.

William, Kate and George have inspired the leading networks to broadcast live coverage for two hours in the afternoon and it's been wall to wall coverage on the popular morning shows like 7 networks too rated Sunrise.

I have never, in 24 years of covering the royal story experienced anything like it.

But if monarchy is to remain relevant is a modern, vibrant, cosmopolitan country like Australia is becoming they need to be a constant presence - not just a glamorous roadshow every 7 years.

I would argue that the royal players need to spend more time than they do in the Commonwealth countries.

Prince Harry coming here for a weekend last year was not long enough.

He should be the next to come here and spend time here.

I understand that there is a policy for the star royals to go back to the leading Commonwealth Realms every three years or so, although nothing is planned as yet.

Supporting The Commonwealth - that the Queen has supporting tirelessly since it's inception - is clearly the big policy too for these new royals.

Whether that will be enough for Prince George to one day be King here is doubtful.

But for the moment, these wonderful images of him playing with the endangered Bilby at Taronga Zoo with a proud and relaxed mum and dad looking on won't have done the monarchist cause Down Under any harm.

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