King Charles confronted by Australian senator during speech who tells him 'you are not my King'

Senator Lidia Thorpe waited until the end of a speech Charles gave at Australia's Parliament House to verbally attack him

An Australian senator has publicly confronted King Charles with the words "You are not my King".

Senator Lidia Thorpe made her bold statement at the conclusion of a speech delivered by Charles at Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra, where she accused him of "genocide" against the indigenous people of the Commonwealth nation.

During their tour of Australia, which commenced on Monday, Charles and Queen Camilla have encountered subdued protests from advocates of First Nations resistance to colonisation, brandishing a "decolonise" banner at various events. As Thorpe was escorted out of the hall, she proclaimed: "You are not our King, you are not sovereign... you have committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us... Our babies, our people. You destroyed our land."

She demanded: "Give us 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."

The incident, involving an elected official, could be seen as embarrassing for Charles during his inaugural visit to Australia as King.

Thorpe, who serves as an independent in the upper house of the Australian parliament, had released a statement prior to the Royal visit.

"As First Peoples, we never ceded our sovereignty over this land. The Crown invaded this country, has not sought a treaty with First Peoples, and committed a genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate sovereign of these lands," she claimed. "Any move towards a republic must not continue this injustice. A treaty must play a central role in establishing an independent nation. A republic without a treaty must not happen."

Speaking to the BBC after being escorted out of parliament, she said: "He is not my King. He is not sovereign. We are sovereign. To be sovereign, you have to be of the land. He is not of this land."

She told interviewers: "I wanted to send a clear message to the King of England that he is not the King of this country."

She also demanded a treaty between Australia’s First Nations and its government.

Despite the disruption, it's thought that the King remained composed, determined not to let the incident overshadow a successful visit in Canberra, marked by vibrant public interaction—including an encounter with a sneezing alpaca at the national war memorial. Earlier on, a crowd had assembled outside the parliament to catch a glimpse of the visiting royals.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, harbours aspirations to see Australia break away from the monarchy and establish itself as a republic through a referendum.

Plans to enhance political rights for indigenous Australians were shelved following a resounding 'no' in last year's referendum. Amidst protests, King Charles delivered a heartfelt speech about his bond with Australia, reminiscing about his first visit as a teenager and how he left feeling more "chiselled" after studying in the Outback.

He expressed deep gratitude towards Australia's First Nations peoples, saying: "In my many visits to Australia, I have witnessed the courage and hope that have guided the nation’s long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation."

He added: "Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations peoples have done me the great honour of sharing, so generously, their stories and cultures. I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom."

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