Queen's man held Kerr's hand down the path to pulling the trigger on Whitlam

Queen's man held Kerr's hand down the path to pulling the trigger on Whitlam

Of course,the Palace Letters contain no"smoking gun"from the Queen herself,but so what?

  • byPeter FitzSimons

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Jenny Hocking:victor in a dogged pursuit of our missing history

Jenny Hocking:victor in a dogged pursuit of our missing history

Many historians thought her case was a"rank outside chance",given her powerful opponents. But the Monash University professor prevailed.

  • byNick Bonyhady
Kerr,the political player who filled a power vacuum

Kerr,the political player who filled a power vacuum

The Palace letters reveal Sir John Kerr wanted to impress the Queen - and he wanted to be a player.

  • byGeorge Megalogenis
What the butler saw in the governor-general's bedroom in 1975
Opinion
Opinion

What the butler saw in the governor-general's bedroom in 1975

The year 1975 is remembered for the dismissal of Gough Whitlam's government by the governor-general. Here's another memory from the time.

  • byTony Wright
Whitlam,Kerr and the chief justice ... and the desperation of powers

Whitlam,Kerr and the chief justice ... and the desperation of powers

The Palace letters expose the role of Australia's then chief justice in the Whitlam Dismissal and cast a pall over judicial independence.

  • byMark Tedeschi
Palace letters show the Queen has no place in Australian politics
Editorial
Editorial

Palace letters show the Queen has no place in Australian politics

Elizabeth II's role in 1975 is debatable but Australians should not have to call the Palace before taking political decisions.

  • The Herald's View
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Prince Charles,the 5000-hectare Australian property and the secret Canberra meeting

Prince Charles,the 5000-hectare Australian property and the secret Canberra meeting

Prince Charles was so desperate to buy a property near Canberra that he convened an urgent meeting with Gough Whitlam.

  • byBevan Shields
History is offering us a lesson - beware the goodwill of future opposition leaders
Opinion
Opinion

History is offering us a lesson - beware the goodwill of future opposition leaders

Now that the Palace Papers have clarified our past,they give us a better glimpse into our possible futures.

  • byPeter Hartcher
A governor-general's life is'certainly not dull'

A governor-general's life is'certainly not dull'

The Palace letters between Sir John Kerr and the private secretary of the Queen reveal more than just details around the dismissal of the Whitlam government.

  • byShane Wright
The blue blood and the boilermaker's son:Kerr's relationship with the Queen's man

The blue blood and the boilermaker's son:Kerr's relationship with the Queen's man

Over 200 letters,Sir John Kerr became close to the Queen's private secretary but in a letter dated the day of his wife's death,discussed vice regal ceremony.

  • byNick Bonyhady andShane Wright
Most surprising of the Palace letters shines new light on Whitlam

Most surprising of the Palace letters shines new light on Whitlam

Instead of showing that the palace interfered in the dismissal of the Whitlam government,it shows that Whitlam sought palace interference.

  • byAnne Twomey