Oz Dumps Honours After Philip 'Knightmare'

Australia is scrapping knights and dames from its honours system months after Prince Philip's knighthood sparked a public backlash.

The country's new prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, a well-known republican, said the Queen had approved the request for the titles to be dumped from the national system.

"The Cabinet recently considered the Order of Australia, in this its 40th anniversary year, and agreed that Knights and Dames are not appropriate in our modern honours system," he said.

"The Cabinet resolved to recommend to Her Majesty that she amend the Letters Patent, which establish the Order of Australia, so that Knights and Dames would no longer be appointed to the Order."

Mr Turnbull said those already knighted will get to keep the honour.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott reintroduced knights and dames as the country's highest honour in 2014, nearly 20 years after they had been discontinued.

When Mr Abbott made the Queen's husband a knight on Australia Day in January, Mr Abbott was ridiculed as out of step with mainstream opinion.

Critics, including many within his own party, said the honour should have been reserved for Australians.

The resulting furore was referred to as a "knightmare" by local media.

"I just think giving our top award to a British royal is anachronistic," said opposition leader Bill Shorten in January.

"To be honest it's a bit of a time warp. I wasn't quite sure it was serious until I realised it was."

Mr Abbott defended his decision and promised to consult more widely in future, but many argued it was the beginning of the end of his leadership.

He survived calls from members of his conservative party to elect a new leader at the time, but months later was ousted in a leadership ballot by the more moderate Mr Turnbull.