Karl calls out Royal visit 'boycott'

King Charles and Queen Camilla will touch down in Australia in a matter of days, with a visit to the Sydney Opera House expected to draw an estimated 10,000 people hoping to catch a glimpse of the Royals.

However, their visit to Canberra hasn't drawn the same interest, with several state premiers choosing not to attend a reception held in the couple's honour.

This comes after talk of Australia becoming a Republic has again been reignited as the question gets asked - does Australia really need a King?

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But regardless of anyone's personal views on the subject, Karl Stefanovic has called the move by politicians intentionally boycotting the King's visit as "pathetic".

"The Republican stuff came up over the weekend and it's absolute rubbish - the fact that our state premiers have refused or they're trying to ignore the fact that he's coming, I personally think that's shameful," the Today host said.

"He devotes his life to the public and that needs to be respected - I just think what they are doing is lame, it's so pathetic."

Daily Mirror Royal editor, Russell Myers joined the Today team in the studio ahead of the Royal visit and he pointed out how big a deal this Royal visit actually is.

"The state premiers are using an array of pretty lame excuses, I think," he said.

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"Some are saying they had other engagements to go to and are a bit too busy to see the King, but this is possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity, so it's a poor show on their part, especially given what he's been through."

Russell also said the Palace has released a statement on the King's behalf on the reignited Republic discussion, saying "if certain British realms want to go in different directions and become republics, nobody is going to stand in their way".

"However, you know, this is a man who's been undergoing cancer treatment for many months and he's dealing with it remarkably well, he's very excited to come Down Under, so yes, give him the respect he deserves," he said.

Hear the full chat with Russell Myers in the video above