"Of course we have Queen Elizabeth as head of state, but in many ways we are a kind of republic. We don't have royals in Australia, so it was kind of unusual to run into those kind of people. But aside from that it was quite ordinary"

In this quote, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson is talking about the political structure of Australia and its relationship with the British monarchy. She acknowledges that Queen Elizabeth is the official president, however likewise mentions that Australia runs in lots of methods like a republic. This suggests that while the Queen holds a symbolic function, the nation is mostly governed by elected authorities and operates independently from the British monarchy. Donaldson likewise discusses the lack of royals in Australia, making it an unique experience for her to experience them. Regardless of this, she describes her encounter as "normal," recommending that the existence of royals does not significantly affect the every day lives of Australians.