Turnbull renews republic debate after bombshell royal interview

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has renewed calls for Australia to ditch the monarchy in the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Mr Turnbull met Prince Harry and Meghan in April 2018, four months before he was replaced by current Prime Minister Scott Morrison in an internal power struggle.

"It's clearly an unhappy family or at least Meghan and Harry are unhappy," Mr Turnbull told the ABC tonight.

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"It seems very sad."

Mr Turnbull was a leading advocate for Australia selecting an Australian citizen as its head of state when he was chairman of the Australian Republican Movement from 1993 to 2000.

A referendum on Australia becoming a republic was defeated in 1999, despite opinion polls showing most believed the country should have an Australian head of state.

The current crisis engulfing the British royals is expected to breath new life into the debate for an Australian republic.

Mr Turnbull said he believed more Australians believed in the Queen than in the monarchy.

"After the end of the Queen's reign, that is the time for us to say: OK, we've passed that watershed. Do we really want to have whoever happens to be the head of state of — the king or queen of the UK — automatically our head of state?"