CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — During a visit to Australia’s parliament on Monday, Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe expressed strong criticisms toward King Charles III, asserting that Australia does not belong to him and that the monarchy is unnecessary for the nation. Her remarks came amid his meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Senator Thorpe was escorted out of a reception for the royal couple after loudly proclaiming that British colonization led to the theft of Indigenous land and ancestral remains. “You committed genocide against our people,” she declared. “Return what you have taken from us—our bones, our skulls, our lives. You devastated our land. We demand a treaty.”
As security personnel moved to prevent her from getting closer, Thorpe continued her protest, shouting, “This is not your land. You are not my king,” as she was escorted from the hall.
In response to the royal visit, Prime Minister Albanese reiterated his support for Australia becoming a republic with its own head of state, also suggesting that it was time for the monarchy’s role to conclude in Australia. “Your respect for Australians, even amidst debates about our constitutional future and our relationship with the Crown, is appreciated,” he acknowledged. “However, progress must occur.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who advocates for retaining the British monarchy, highlighted that even republican supporters honored the royal couple at the Parliament House event. “People have made efforts to look their best, and that includes the republicans,” Dutton humorously noted.
Notably absent from the reception were leaders of Australia’s six state governments, who voiced their preference for an Australian citizen to serve as head of state. Though they cited other commitments, it was clear that their absence reflected a political division on the monarchy. Monarchists acknowledged that this was a significant snub to the visiting royals.
During his visit, King Charles expressed gratitude to Auntie Violet Sheridan, a traditional Indigenous elder, for the Welcome to Country ceremony. “I deeply appreciated this morning’s ceremony, which allowed me to pay my respects to the Ngunnawal people, the traditional custodians of this land, and to all First Nations peoples who have cared for this continent for over 65,000 years,” he stated. He acknowledged the impact the stories and customs of Australia’s First Nations peoples have had on his life.
In 1999, Australians decided through a referendum to keep Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, largely due to concerns about the process of electing a president, rather than overwhelming support for the monarchy. While Albanese has currently ruled out another referendum during his three-year administration, it remains a possibility if his Labor Party is re-elected by May of next year.
In the lead-up to Charles’ visit, the Australian Republic Movement reached out to Buckingham Palace, requesting an audience with the king to discuss their aims of severing constitutional ties with Britain. However, the Palace indicated that the king’s schedule would be directed by the Australian government, and a meeting with the movement does not appear on the agenda.
“The decision on whether Australia should become a republic is one for the Australian people,” stated a letter from Buckingham Palace.
Earlier that day, King Charles and Queen Camilla paid their respects by laying wreaths at the Australian War Memorial. Despite the scaled-down schedule due to his ongoing treatment for cancer, an estimated 4,000 people turned out to greet the royal couple.
This visit marks King Charles’ first trip to Australia since he ascended the throne in 2022, and the first by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2011. After a day of rest following their arrival, the couple made their initial public appearance at a church service in Sydney on Sunday before heading to Canberra for the memorial and reception.
Charles and Camilla are set to depart for Samoa on Wednesday, where the king will participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
