Australian senator explains why she shouted at King Charles – Royal household information

King Charles was confronted for a second day by First Nations activists questioning the supremacy of the British monarchy in Australia.

When Charles met Indigenous elders during a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney one told him their goal was “sovereignty”.

After the King spoke to guests at Parliament House in Canberra, Ms Thorpe, who wore a possum skin coat and carried a traditional message stick, shouted: “You are not our King, you are not sovereign … you have committed genocide against our people.”

Her comments were criticised as “disrespectful” by Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese, who attended the event, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the King, describing him as an “incredible ambassador”.

Elder Allan Murray from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council appeared to reference Senator Thorpe’s words in his Sydney greeting.

Charles nodded as he said: “Welcome to country. We’ve got stories to tell, and I think you witnessed that story yesterday in Canberra, but the story is unwavering and we’ve got a long way to achieve what we want to achieve and that’s our own sovereignty. But welcome to Gadigal land.”

As he finished his speech, senator Lidia Thorpe approached the stage and shouted for around 30 seconds, saying “this is not your country”.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” said Ms Thrope, an outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights.

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An Australian senator who confronted King Charles in parliament has shared a cartoon showing the monarch beheaded on social media.

Lidia Thorpe, 51, an outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights, shouted at the King in a fiery address during his royal reception in Great Hall of Parliament House on Monday.

She approached the stage shouting “you are not my king” and accusing the King of “committing genocide against our people”, as she urged him to negotiate treaty between Australia‘s First Nations and its government.

After her protest, the independent politician took to social media to further reiterate her position, sharing a cartoon showing a beheaded King Charles to her Instagram story.

The original post, shared by artist Matt Chun, was captioned with Thorpe’s words she directed at the King earlier on Monday: “You are not our king. You are not sovereign.”

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During his tour of Australia, the King has found himself a lightning rod for republican protests, which was to have been anticipated – but might it have been dealt with more deftly by his handlers, asks Hugo Vickers:

The Indigenous senator who confronted King Charles has spoken out once more to claim that the “bones and skulls” of Aboriginal people are still in possession of the royal family.

She told Sky News hours after her appearance at parliament: “We have our bones and our skulls still in his possession, or in his family’s possession. We want that back.

“We want our land back and we want your King to take some leadership and sit at the table and discuss a treaty with us.”

Australian senator Lidia Thorpe has made headlines around the world after denouncing King Charles following his Parliament House reception speech.

Ms Thorpe, an Indigenous woman from Victoria, has long advocated for a treaty between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to recognise their autonomy and set right historical wrongs.

Ms Thorpe, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung mother, grandmother, is a well-known activist for Indigenous causes. Her recent actions, however, have been described as her most high-profile protest to date.

She became the first Indigenous woman to be elected to the Victorian state parliament with Green Party in 2017. While her seat was subsequently lost in 2018, she was preselected to be a senator for the party in the federal government in 2020.

At the time of her swearing into parliament in 2020, she raised her hand in a black power salute. She did so while wearing a traditional possum-skin cloak and holding an Aboriginal message stick.

The stick was covered in 441 marks to represent the deaths of Aboriginal people known to have died following the 1991 royal commission into deaths in custody.

She protested again in 2022 upon her re-election, describing the late Queen Elizabeth II “the colonising Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” in her oath. Ms Thorpe was then forced to recite her oath again using the correct words.

The causes championed by Ms Thorpe on behalf of Indigenous Australians include the reform of the prison and justice systems, environmental issues and land rights.

As he finished his speech, senator Lidia Thorpe approached the stage and shouted for around 30 seconds, saying “this is not your country”.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” said Ms Thrope, an outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights.

Read the full story below:

This is the moment senator Lidia Thorpe heckles King Charles during a reception in Australia’s parliament.

The monarch had just finished addressing lawmakers in Canberra on Monday when Ms Thorpe shouted “This is not your land. You are not my King.”

She continued raising her voice in protest, saying “Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us! Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people.

“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty!”

Security stopped Ms Thorpe from getting close and ushered her out of the chamber as the King turned to talk to prime minister Anthony Albanese.