Royal news live: King Charles faces indigenous activists for second day after senator explains outburst
King accused of ‘genocide’ by senator Lidia Thorpe who shouted ‘You are not my King’
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The King has faced indigenous activists questioning the supremacy of the British monarchy for a second day as he tours Australia.
When Charles met First Nations elders during a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney on Tuesday, one told him their goal was “sovereignty” in an apparent reference to a protest the previous day.
On Monday, the monarch was accused of “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations by senator Lidia Thorpe who told him, “You are not my King.”
The Indigenous senator has spoken out to explain why she confronted Charles after his parliamentary adress.
Ms Thorpe, from Victoria, has long advocated for a treaty between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to recognise their autonomy and set right historical wrongs.
The independent politician has now said that as current King, Charles should “answer for” the “thousands of massacre sites” in Australia.
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.”
During their tour of Australia, Charles and Camilla have faced low-key protests from supporters of First Nations’ resistance to colonisation, with a banner with the word "decolonise" displayed at a number of events.
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King Charles heckled by Australian senator shouting ‘you are not my king’
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Lidia Thorpe: Who is the Indigenous Australian MP who accused King Charles of genocide on royal tour?
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Senator explains decision to confront King Charles
The senator who confronted King Charles has said she wanted to send a “clear message” to the King during his visit on Monday.
Lidia Thorpe shouted at the King after he finished his speech during his reception in Australia’s parliament. She told the BBC afterwards: “To be sovereign you have to be of the land. He is not of this land.”
She added that the King needed to instruct Parliament to discuss a peace treaty
She said the King needed to instruct the Parliament to discuss a peace treaty with the first peoples.
“We can lead that, we can do that, we can be a better country - but we cannot bow to the coloniser, whose ancestors he spoke about in there are responsible for mass murder and mass genocide,” she told the broadcaster.
Watch moment King Charles heckled by Australian senator Lidia Thorpe: ‘You are not my King’
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.
Charles confronted by Australian senator after landmark speech
King Charles‘s landmark address to Australia’s Parliament House on Monday was disrupted by a protesting Indigenous senator shouting “you are not my king” and accusing him of “committ[ing] genocide against our people”.
The King and Queen Camilla are on a five-day tour of Australia and Charles addressed the Great Hall of Parliament House on Monday in one of the most important engagements of his first visit to the country as monarch.
As he finished his speech, senator Lidia Thorpe approached the stage and shouted for around 30 seconds, saying “this is not your country”.
Read the full story here:
King Charles heckled by Australian senator shouting ‘you are not my king’
Charles, on a five-day visit to Australia, sees landmark speech to parliament disrupted by Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe
ICYMI: Princess Anne attends performance by world’s oldest riding academy
The Princess Royal attended a performance in London by the world’s oldest riding academy.
Eight riders and up to 26 horses from the Spanish Riding School carried out perfectly synchronised routines set to classical Viennese music on Friday evening.
The Vienna-based academy has been practising classical horsemanship for more than 450 years, and performed tonight to a horse-enthusiast and former Olympic rider in Princess Anne.
She joined model Lady Victoria Hervey, influencer Chuggs Wallis and thousands of fans to view the spectacle at the OVO Arena Wembley.
Radio and TV presenter Nicki Chapman, who hosted the show, said: “Hosting the opening night of the prestigious Spanish Riding School tour, with The Princess Royal in attendance, was an absolute honour.
“It’s been eight years since the Lipizzaner horses and their incredibly talented riders last visited the UK, and sharing the magic with both the Princess Royal and the British public made the evening all the more unforgettable.”
Behind-the-scenes look at Buckingham Palace £360m renovation
The royal family have shared a behind-the-scenes look at Buckingham Palace as a 780-strong team undertake a £360 million refurbishment of the historic building.
As part of the palace’s reservicing programme, work is taking place in the basement, replacing old electrical cabling with brand new cables under the floors and throughout the historic building.
In a new video, released by the royal family this month, workers can be seen pulling some of the 25,000 metres of cable through the basement.
The vast amount is equivalent to the weight of 12 elephants and runs the length of 250 football pitches.
Footage revealed of King Charles’ visit to Australia in 1966
The Royal Family has posted footage of King Charles visiting Australia as a young man.
In a post on X, they said: “In 1966, when he was seventeen, The King spent two terms at Timbertop in the mountains of south-eastern Australia.
“The co-educational campus of Geelong Grammar School is located near Mansfield in Victoria, and combines normal schooling with outdoor activities, such as hiking, trail running, cross-country skiing and camping, to foster independence and initiative.”
King and Queen visit Anglican church in Sydney
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