King Charles and Queen Camilla have received an uncomfortable welcome to Australia from one angry senator.
On Friday (October 18), King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Australia as part of their first tour of the country since the reigning monarch took to the throne.
However, moments after King Charles delivered his Parliament House reception speech on Monday (October 21), he was heckled by Australian senator Lidia Thorpe with a number of anti-colonial statements.
The uncomfortable moment was captured on camera, as onlookers were rattled in the Great Hall.
As reported by News.com.au, just as the monarch concluded his praises of Australia, Senator Thorpe, not holding back her dissent, shouted: "F**k the colony", followed by: "You are not my King!"
Her cries didn't stop there; she demanded a treaty and accused the monarchy of stealing Indigenous lands, exclaiming: "Give us our land back that you f**king stole from us!"
"Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people," she continued. "You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist. This is not your land!"
The moment unfolded under the watchful eyes of security, who swiftly escorted Senator Thorpe from the premises. Despite the disruption, King Charles and Queen Camilla remained composed.
This was not Senator Thorpe's first protest of the day. Earlier, she had participated in an Indigenous protest outside the Australian War Memorial, emphasizing that the land "always was, always will be Aboriginal land." A confrontation there saw her briefly tangled with police but ended without arrest, as confirmed by the Australian Federal Police.
Inside Parliament, Thorpe continued her protest by turning her back during the playing of the Australian anthem.
Senator Thorpe argues for a 'Treaty Republic' where the movement towards a republic and the treaty process complement rather than oppose each other. She envisions a constitution rewritten to involve First Nations Australians and the establishment of a charter of rights that aligns with international declarations on human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott critiqued Thorpe’s actions as "political exhibitionism".
However, over on X, some social media users have voiced support for Thorpe, with one person saying: "She is absolutely right."
Another argued: "I don't spot a single lie."
During his address, King Charles spoke fondly of the nation and its people, saying: "Throughout my life, Australia's First Nations people have done me the great honour of sharing so generously their stories and cultures."
The King continued: "I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom. Australia's economic growth has been remarkable and this is a country which for all its size and diversity, never omits to look out."
Per The Independent, the issue of the British monarchy’s continued rule of Australia was last put to a referendum in 1999.
At the time, 55% of Australian voters chose to keep the long-standing institution.
