King Charles III of Britain was heckled by an Aboriginal lawmaker in Australia during his nine-day tour of the country and Samoa. Senator Lidia Thorpe confronted the King after his address to Australia’s Parliament, accusing the British of committing genocide against the Indigenous people and demanding the return of their land. Thorpe, the first Indigenous person to represent Victoria in the Senate, turned her back when God Save the King was played in anticipation of Charles’s arrival.
Australia was settled by the British in the 18th century, resulting in the displacement of Aboriginal communities and mass deaths. Although Australia has de facto independence from Britain, the monarch remains the head of state. A referendum in 1999 voted to retain the monarch, and proposals to recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution were rejected last year.
Charles called on Australia to take a leadership role in fighting climate change, citing the increasing intensity of natural disasters in the country. He emphasized the importance of sustainable living and being good stewards of the planet for future generations. The royal couple also laid wreaths at the Australian War Memorial and attended a church service in Sydney during their visit.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while expressing a preference for Australia to become a republic, has ruled out a referendum on the issue for now. Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit is the first by a reigning British monarch in more than a decade, sparking both controversy and calls for action on climate change and Indigenous rights.
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