Royalty or not, you cant always please everybody. The same goes for King Charles III, who kept calm and carried on with his royal tour of Australia even after he was heckled by a politician after his speech at Parliament House in Canberra on Oct. 21.
His Majesty had just paid a tribute to the “timeless wisdom of indigenous people” when Aboriginal Australian politician Lidia Thorpe loudly accused him of genocide. The senator, garbed in an indigenous dress, waved a piece of paper as she approached the stage and shouted “You are not my King!” much to the shock of the guests and MPs.
Videos of Thorpe throwing accusations at King Charles III as she was being escorted outside by security have made the rounds online. She can be heard saying: “You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back, give us back what you stole from us. Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people! You destroyed our lands, give us a treaty, we want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist! This is not your land! Your are not my King!”
Despite her outburst, His Majesty was unperturbed and just laughed it off. After all, he is used to being humiliated or insulted in public. As royal correspondent Jennie Bond said, “interruptions like this on a royal tour are nothing new” so the 75-year-old had no choice but to carry on.
“I think the King would have been a bit disappointed that this particular protest was so public and in his face, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have been surprised. There’s no choice, really, he has to sit through protests like this and then get on with the job in hand,” she told OK!
She also weighed in on whether Thorpe’s insults or similar public outbursts against King Charles III will impact the monarchy’s standing within the Commonwealth. She shared: “I don’t think it will affect how Charles or William feel, they will always repeat the view, which I think they sincerely hold, that the future of each country lies entirely with its people.”
Likewise, not everyone from parliament and other politicians agree with Thorpe. Aboriginal Australian athlete and former senator Nova Peris said Thorpe’s outburst “Does Not Reflect all of Aboriginal Australia.”
She wrote on X: “As a former Senator and the first Aboriginal woman in the Australian Parliament, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during King Charles III’s visit to Parliament House. Her outburst, which disrupted what should have been a respectful event, was both embarrassing and disrespectful to our nation and the Royal Family.”
She also apologized to King Charles III and Queen Camilla “on behalf of all those who value mutual respect and the dignity of our nation.” She added: “Lidia Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect all of our people’s views or values. I hope King Charles and Queen Camilla will continue to visit and engage with communities across Australia, where they are welcomed with respect and dignity.”
Moreover, Aussie Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Thorpe’s actions “disrespectful” and “not the standard of behaviour Australians rightly expect of parliamentarians.” Even Thorpe’s own father has called her out for her disgraceful act.
Aunty Violet Sheridan, a senior Ngunnawal Elder, who welcomed His and Her Majesty as they entered Parliament House also shared her disappointment at Thorpe’s behavior. She said: “To have that in the Great Hall – disgusting. I am so upset about her. He has waited so long to be king, rehearsed for it all his life. He is our king, our sovereign and he has got cancer.”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s royal tour of Australia and Samoa nearly didn’t happen given he is battling cancer. But he agreed to pause his ongoing treatment to embark on a nine-day schedule that was, albeit, scaled down to preserve his energies.
