An Australian senator caused a stir by publicly denouncing King Charles during a royal event, shouting “Not My King!” in a bold political statement.
After finishing an address at Australia’s Parliament House on the second official day of his engagements in the country, King Charles was met with shouts of “you are not my King” from an independent senator.
Lidia Thorpe disrupted the ceremony in Canberra by shouting for approximately a minute before security escorted her away.
As the King stepped away from the lectern to return to Queen Camilla, who was seated on stage, Thorpe began shouting while making her way forward from the back of the assembly.
After accusing others of committing genocide against “our people,” she was heard shouting, “This is not your land; you are not my King.”
The ceremony concluded without mentioning the incident, after which the royal couple went on to meet with members of the public who had been waiting outside to greet them.
Australia is a member of the Commonwealth with the King as its head of state.
Thorpe, an independent senator from Victoria and an Aboriginal Australian woman, has been a longstanding advocate for establishing a treaty between Australia’s government and its Indigenous peoples.
Australia is the only former British colony without such a structure, and many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people emphasize that they never surrendered their sovereignty or land to the Crown.
Following the event, Thorpe told the BBC that she aimed to convey a “clear message” to the King.
“You need to belong to the land in order to be sovereign,” she remarked. “He does not belong here.”
She stated that the King should direct Parliament to negotiate a peace treaty with the indigenous peoples.
We have the potential to lead and make our country better, but we cannot submit to those whose ancestors were responsible for mass murder and genocide.
Thorpe, draped in a traditional possum skin cloak during her 2022 swearing-in as a senator, referred to the late Queen Elizabeth II as “colonising.”
Despite the protest, many were delighted to see the royals. People lined up outside Parliament House all morning under Canberra’s punishing sun, waving Australian flags.
Jamie Karpas, 20, mentioned she was unaware of the royal couple’s visit on Monday. She added: “Having seen Harry and Meghan during their previous visit, I’m really excited. I believe the Royal Family is an integral part of Australian culture and plays a significant role in our lives.”
Meanwhile, CJ Adams, a student with US-Australian dual citizenship at the Australian National University, remarked: “As the head of state of what was once known as the British Empire, you have to seize opportunities while you’re in Canberra.”
A handful of dissenters had gathered on the lawn in front of the Parliament House building.
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The royal visit to Canberra was inevitably going to address Australia’s history with its Indigenous peoples, but Thorpe’s actions led the King and Queen to confront this issue more directly than originally intended.
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen arrived in Canberra where they were welcomed by a reception line that included politicians, schoolchildren, and Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Serena Williams, representing the Indigenous people.
They received a traditional welcome into Canberra’s Parliament House Great Hall, accompanied by the sound of a didgeridoo.
The King discussed indigenous communities and shared how their traditional wisdom had “shaped and strengthened” his own experiences.
He remarked, “During my numerous visits to Australia, I have observed the courage and hope that have steered the nation through its long and at times challenging journey towards reconciliation.”
However, as he took his seat, the hall echoed with Thorpe’s protesting shouts.
Buckingham Palace has not officially addressed Thorpe’s protest, choosing instead to concentrate on the crowds that gathered in Canberra to see the King and Queen.
A source from the Palace mentioned that the royal couple were profoundly moved by the presence of thousands who had gathered to support them.
For decades, Australia has contemplated severing ties with the monarchy to establish itself as a republic. In 1999, this issue was presented to the public via a referendum—the sole method for amending the country’s constitution—and it was decisively rejected.
Polls indicate that backing for the movement has increased since that time. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of the country, a long-standing republican and someone who shook hands with the King just before the senator’s intervention, is also supportive.
Nevertheless, Albanese’s government has decided against conducting another vote on the issue in the near future after last year’s unsuccessful referendum on Indigenous recognition.
King Charles, who has been undergoing cancer treatment this year, is visiting Australia for the first time since succeeding his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Due to health reasons, this tour will be shorter than previous royal visits.
Earlier in the day, there was a lighter moment when the King paused to interact with members of the public following his visit to Canberra’s war memorial. During this time, he petted an alpaca adorned with a small crown.
