Speaking on ABC Radio's AM program on Saturday, Mr Carr urged people to drop the honorific titles of 'sir' and 'dame' that accompany the nation's highest honour.

"As someone who takes the spirit of republicanism seriously, I for one will never be acknowledging the knighthood that any Australian receives from this government," he said.

Mr Carr said regardless of whether people were committed republicans or not, they should join him in disregarding the titles of knights and dames.

"The response of the Australian people should be that they won't be using sir or dame when they engage with these respected Australians."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent decision to award the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, with a knighthood has been vehemently opposed by politicians of both sides.

Mr Carr, who now heads the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology, said Australians were not supportive of the reinstatement of knights and dames.

"One thing's certain; that Tony Abbott misread the appetite of the Australian people for a thoroughly royalist, or constitutional, monarchist gesture," Mr Carr said.

He also voiced his disappointment that the Duke of Edinburgh had become unwittingly caught up in the uproar about knighthoods and titles.

"I think it's very sad that Prince Philip, with an undoubted record of public service, a figure I respect enormously for a number of reasons, has been dragged through this," he said.

Since knights and dames were reinstated last year, the prime minister has awarded the honour to former Governor-General Quentin Bryce, current Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston and the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.