King Charles III’s first official visit to Australia as monarch was disrupted by shouts of protest from independent senator Lidia Thorpe shortly after he delivered an address at Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra.
The incident occurred on the second official day of his engagements in the country.
Thorpe, an Aboriginal Australian woman and long-time advocate for Indigenous rights, interrupted the ceremony by shouting, “You are not my King,” moments after the King stepped away from the lectern. As she approached the stage from the back of the assembly, she loudly condemned what she called the “genocide” against Indigenous Australians and declared, “This is not your land, you are not my King.”
The protest lasted about a minute before Thorpe was escorted away by security. Despite the disruption, the ceremony continued without any acknowledgment of the incident, and King Charles and Queen Camilla proceeded to greet the crowds outside Parliament House, where hundreds of people had gathered in the sweltering Canberra heat to welcome the royal couple.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms the actions of Senator Lidia Thorpe today at Parliament House where she hurled verbal abuse at our King.
To show such utter disrespect to King Charles, who has traveled to Australia, despite ongoing cancer treatment, is disgusting.… pic.twitter.com/hG9UaQOw3E
— Senator Babet (@senatorbabet) October 21, 2024
Thorpe, who represents Victoria in Australia’s Senate, later told the BBC that her actions were intended to send a clear message to the King. “To be sovereign, you have to be of the land,” she said, emphasizing that King Charles does not hold such sovereignty over Australia. She also called on the monarch to push for discussions on a peace treaty between the Australian government and the country’s First Peoples, a treaty that Australia, unlike other former British colonies, has yet to establish.
“We cannot bow to the coloniser,” Thorpe added, accusing the British monarchy of being responsible for the historic atrocities committed against Indigenous Australians, the BBC reported.
The senator, who wore a traditional possum skin cloak during the protest, has been a vocal critic of the British monarchy. When she was sworn in as a senator in 2022, she controversially referred to the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “coloniser.”
While the protest made headlines, many others expressed excitement about the royal visit. Large crowds had lined up outside Parliament House, waving Australian flags in anticipation of the King and Queen’s arrival. Earlier in the day, the royal couple was welcomed by a reception line of politicians, schoolchildren, and Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Serena Williams, a representative of the Indigenous people. They were also treated to a traditional welcome in Canberra’s Great Hall, accompanied by the sound of a didgeridoo.
King Charles protester Lidia Thorpe, a Victoria Senator interrupts the great hall after speech pic.twitter.com/d02hoKW1rh
— Kate Mansey (@KateMansey) October 21, 2024
In his speech, King Charles reflected on the significance of Indigenous communities in Australia, highlighting how his own experiences had been “shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom.” He acknowledged the challenges faced by the nation on its path toward reconciliation, praising the “courage and hope” that have marked Australia’s efforts.
Although Buckingham Palace has not issued an official statement regarding Thorpe’s protest, a palace source said the royal couple was deeply moved by the thousands of people who came out to show their support in Canberra.
The King’s visit included lighter moments as well, such as when he stopped to pet an alpaca wearing a small crown after visiting Canberra’s war memorial. The royal couple also planted trees at Government House, and King Charles, known for his environmental advocacy, later toured the National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory.
