King Charles III Didn't Get the Warm Welcome in Australia That He Was Hoping for

King Charles III‘s tour to Australia is not off to the rousing start he had hoped for. First, he was criticized for not selecting a single photo of Princess Diana to be displayed during the Sydney Opera House tribute on Oct. 18. Now, he’s being heckled in the Australian Parliament. The protest by Aboriginal Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe is part of an ongoing conversation about the royal family and colonialism. 

After Charles finished his speech and sat down to applause, Thorpe came down the aisle, shouting, “You are not my king, this is not your land.” The dramatic video, captured by The Telegraph, shows how silent the room got as she stated her case. 

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back,” she said. “Give us what you stole from us: our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land, give us a treaty – we want a treaty, we want a treaty with this country. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my King; you are not our King. F— the colonies.”

Thorpe was escorted out of the building by security as she continued to give King Charles a lesson in colonialism. The monarch and Queen Camilla kept their cool as they stayed in their seats and chatted with other members of Parliament onstage. Charles looked completely unbothered by the situation. While it might not have been the time nor the place for Thorpe to stage her protest, Charles’ lack of reaction might fuel more anti-monarchy protests in the future.

Just last week, the royal family was criticized for not disclosing lavish gifts bestowed upon them in an official capacity. The protocol has been in place for decades. The Guardian noted that the palace blamed “the pandemic, the change of reign, and then planning for last year’s coronation for their inability to publish details of the gifts received by members of the royal family.” However, Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, the strongest anti-monarchy group in the U.K., is asking King Charles to be accountable for their actions.

“It is vital that the public knows about any possible conflicts of interest or attempts to curry favor with royals, as they have direct access to the highest levels of government,” he explained. “The royals have form when it comes to blurring the lines between what’s theirs to keep and what’s an official gift. So full disclosure is needed on what’s been received and where those gifts are now. If we demand high standards from politicians, we must demand those same standards from the royals.”

Thorpe is also asking for the monarchy to be accountable for their actions of the past. The royal family continues to lightly acknowledge the issues, but they are standing firm on the throne which will only fuel those protesting the monarchy even more.

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