Queen Pays First Australia Visit Since Vote

SYDNEY, Australia —  Queen Elizabeth II came to Australia on Friday for her first visit since the former British colony voted four months ago to keep her as its head of state.

The queen arrived in the capital, Canberra, and smiled as she was greeted by her representative in Australia, Governor-General William Deane, and Prime Minister John Howard and his wife, Janette. The queen’s two-week trip to Australia looks to be more low key than previous tours, and some say it was timed to avoid stirring the republic debate.

The queen will keep a low profile over the weekend before traveling to Sydney on Monday for an official welcoming ceremony.

Opinion polls show that most Australians want a home-grown head of state but cannot agree on how to choose one. Republicans say this is the main reason for the failure of the referendum.

When the queen visits the site of the Sydney Olympic Games on Tuesday, she will be six months early for the opening ceremony.

Normally, the host nation’s head of state officially opens the Games, but Australian officials didn’t ask the queen, saying it was more appropriate for an Australian to take her place.

The queen will visit more rural locations and fewer big cities than on previous tours. Organizers deny that it has to do with voting patterns that showed support for the monarchy was strongest outside urban areas.