King Charles had a surprising encounter with an unexpected creature during his visit to Australia, leaving him in 'disbelief' when he was sneezed on by the animal.
Both Charles and Queen Camilla were in Canberra as part of their Australian tour, where they participated in a solemn ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.
Inside the memorial's Hall of Memory, Charles laid a wreath at the foot of the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, accompanied by a floral posy placed by Camilla. However, after the poignant service, the royal couple stepped outside to be greeted by hundreds of well-wishers, OK! reports.
Charles was left in "disbelief" when a suit-and-crown-clad alpaca named Hephner sneezed on him as he went to say hello. The nine-year-old alpaca caused quite a stir when he sneezed loudly as Charles stroked his nose, prompting laughter and a "bless you" from Charles.
Thousands turned out to greet the King and Queen, waving flags and banners. Among the crowd was Robert Fletcher, who brought along Hephner, dressed in a gold crown and suit complete with a gold bow tie for the occasion.
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Robert from Goulburn, New South Wales, who considers his alpaca a support animal for charities and nursing homes, was thrilled while anticipating Charles's visit, professing: "My wife found the crown and thought it was fitting. I think he loves his crown very much. He has lots of outfits but it's a special day so he is in a suit and bow tie as well.
"Hephner has met a few famous people before but this is the King. He wants to meet the King. He doesn't bite and he doesn't spit. He's always on his best behaviour anyway. And he is a pro-monarchy alpaca."
During the interaction, Robert introduced Hephner to Charles, and in a comical twist, the alpaca sneezed loudly as the King reached out to pet him. Recalling the moment with amusement, Robert said: "I got to shake his hand and then Hephner sneezed. The King just looked in disbelief. But it's just who Hephner is. He is an alpaca after all."
The amusing sneeze occurred during a walkabout at the war memorial, shortly before an Aboriginal senator made headlines by confronting the monarchy over historic wrongs.
Lidia Thorpe, known for her advocacy on First Nations matters, made a bold statement to Charles upon his arrival in Canberra: "You are not my King".
She went on to accuse the Crown of "genocide" against indigenous Australians, overshadowing a speech by Charles that acknowledged his respect for Australia's first inhabitants.
Ms Thorpe did not hold back as she addressed the King and Queen, declaring: "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."
As Ms Thorpe was escorted out, her voice rang out with the controversial exclamations "not my King" and "f**k the colony". The royal couple maintained their poise throughout the incident, continuing to engage with other attendees as orchestral music played on.
Security personnel managed to defuse the situation promptly, escorting her away in under half a minute. Reports indicate that His Majesty appeared unbothered by the interruption, and it did not dampen the spirits of what was considered a successful engagement in Canberra by the royals.
Subsequently, the King and Queen Consort made their way outside Parliament to greet the public eagerly awaiting their appearance. Disappointment tinged the air among royal enthusiasts, however, as the much-anticipated walkabout came to an end after less than ten minutes.
Refuting any suggestion that the earlier disruption had truncated their appearance, palace officials clarified that proceedings were, in fact, running fifteen minutes late.
A source from the palace remarked: "Their Majesties were deeply touched by seeing and hearing the very many thousands who'd turned out to support them, and are only sorry they didn't have a chance to stop and talk to every single one.
"The warmth and scale of the reception was truly awesome. While they are grateful to all the crowds, Their Majesties particularly enjoyed hearing individual stories of those who'd made such a special effort to be there."
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