Australia’s political leaders have vetoed Prince William’s ambitions to serve as the country’s Governor-General, saying that he would hold too many parties and, in any case, he was not suitable for the job.

Kevin Rudd, the popular opposition Labor Party leader, who is well ahead in polls to win this year’s general election, said yesterday that he thought Prince William would turn Yarralumla, the historic Governor-General’s residence in Canberra, into a party venue.

He said: “When it comes to Prince William, he’s 25 years old. I think it would be party, party, party out at Yarralumla.”

He said that he favoured choosing an Australian who had contributed to the life of the nation, such as past defence chiefs, for Governor-General.

Tina Brown, the former editor of Vanity Fair, revealed that during research for her new book – The Diana Chronicles – she discovered that Prince William harbours an ambition to be appointed Governor-General of Australia. Brown wrote: “Charles really wanted the job because he saw it as a way to get the hell out of the grip of Prince Philip and the Queen.”

In an interview with Australia’s mass-circulation Women’s Weekly magazine published yesterday, Brown elaborated on Prince William’s ambitions, saying that her interviews had disclosed that the British Royal Family was keen on the idea of him becoming Governor-General. She told the magazine: “You might like to know . . . it’s been thought up in regard to William, too.

“They would like that and he would like that very much,” Brown said in the interview.

The current Governor-General is a former army officer, Major-General Michael Jeffery, a stickler for protocol who has stayed well clear of politics since his appointment by Australia’s conservative Prime Minister, John Howard, in 2003. He is expected to be replaced next year.

But Mr Howard, who has often declared his support for the British monarchy, said yesterday that only Australians should be considered for the job, which also carries with it a large residence next door to the Prime Minister’s on Sydney harbour.Mr Howard said: “Although I remain a supporter of our current constitutional arrangements, I do think the practice of having a person who is Australian in every way and a long-term and permanent resident of this country is a practice I would not like to see altered.”

Australia’s former long-serving Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke confirmed yesterday that a proposal for Prince Charles to serve as Governor-General had been put to his Government, which came into office in 1983.

But Mr Hawke rejected it because he did not want the country to get a “double dose” of the monarchy, given the Queen’s preexisting role as head of state in Australia.

Mr Hawke said: “It came up at some stage. I made it quite clear that it wasn’t on. We’re in favour of a republic. The idea of doubling the dose had no appeal.”

Prince Charles in 1994 confirmed his flirtation with becoming Governor-General of Australia, telling The Australian newspaper that the “splendid” atmosphere in Australia and the “give a bloke a go” outlook attracted him to the country.

The Governor-General acts as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the defence forces.

Past masters

—First Governor-General was John Hope, Earl of Hopetoun, who lived in regal splendour and resigned in 1902 when refused an extra allowance

—From 1902-1903 the position was held by Hallam Tennyson, son of the poet, who abandoned his political hopes to care for his father

—Thomas Denman (1911-1914) was well liked, but unfortunately afflicted with an allergy to Australia’s national flower, the wattle

—Paul Hasluck (1969-1974) so disliked the PM, Gough Whitlam, that he accused him of being “one of the filthiest objects ever to come into this chamber”.

Sources: gutenburg.net.au; Australian Dictionary of Biography; Parliament of Australia website; www.rice.edu

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