Debates around Australia’s continued future under the British monarchy have flared ahead of King Charles’ first visit to the country since he ascended the throne.

Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia on 18 October, with stops in Sydney and Canberra during their six-day visit.

The conversation about Australia’s future under the British monarchy has reared its head in light of the visit after a letter from King Charles to the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) was publicly reported this week.

In the letter, Charles indicated he would not stand in the way if Australia wished to become a republic.

The letter was in response to one sent by the ARM in December 2023, requesting a meeting with the King during his proposed visit to discuss Australia’s future relationship with the UK, and asking him to “consider publicly supporting the will of the Australian people and their desires to move to a republic”.

In the reply, which was sent in March, Nathan Ross, assistant private secretary to the King, thanked the group for its “thoughtfulness in writing as you did” and reiterated the King and Queen’s “love and affection for Australia and Australians”.

“The King appreciated that you took the time to write and asked me to reply on his behalf,” wrote Ross in the letter, seen by the Guardian.

“Please be assured that your views on this matter have been noted very carefully. His Majesty, as a constitutional Monarch, acts on the advice of his Ministers, and whether Australia becomes a republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian public to decide.”

Australia held a referendum in 1999 on the issue of becoming a republic, in which 54.9% of the country voted against.

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has previously voiced strong support for the country becoming a republic, saying: “Australia should have an Australian as our head of state.”

When he took power in 2022, he appointed one of his MPs as assistant minister for the republic, signalling his intent to move towards another referendum.

However, Albanese recently indicated that a second referendum was not a priority, and the assistant ministry was abolished in July.

Nathan Hansford, co-chair of ARM, said while the group had thought it was “quite unlikely” the King would agree to their request to support their cause – thereby eliminating himself as head of state in Australia – they wanted to have a respectful conversation about Australia’s future.

“It’s up to Australia to decide what they want to do with the head of state. And what better time for us to have a think about that then when the King is here this week.”

Hansford said according to research conducted by the group, 8% of Australians are “rusted-on monarchists”, 60% of Australians preferred an Australian as head of state and 40% of Australians didn’t even realise that Charles was the country’s head of state.

“So we’re hoping that there’s a real conversation-starter, by Charles and Camilla coming here,” he said.

“We’re a really unique country, we’re a country with such a long history – tens of thousands of years of Indigenous culture – and with a really multicultural community that’s been growing so much since we had the last referendum in 1999 … and most of us can’t really understand having our head of state as someone who’s born into the role and not selected on their merit.

“People are really starting to think: well, is this who we are in 2024 as as a country?”

Philip Benwell, national chair of the Australian Monarchist League, said the current system has served Australia well.

“Our constitution provides stability and security,” he said. “There’s never been a major crisis with our constitution since 1901 [when Australia federated] … That’s what we are campaigning against, not for the sake of the King or, earlier, the Queen, but because we believe our constitution best protects our democracy in this country because it blocks politicians from total and absolute power.”

Benwell said while the ARM had every right to write to Charles requesting a meeting, it would have been a breach of protocol for the King to have accepted their invitation.

“The King cannot officially meet with me, just as he cannot officially meet with the republicans, because [the republic question] is an ongoing issue in this country. He’s here to meet the people, not to become involved in political issues, he’s above that as king.”