The trip of the British royals to Australia was marked by protests from Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe, who accused the monarch of representing a colonial power responsible for a “genocide” against the indigenous people. The episode occurred during an official visit to the Commonwealth Parliament, in the capital Canberra
“You have committed genocide against our people, give us back our land!”. Controversy flared up during King Charles of England’s trip to Australia, contested by Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe inside the Commonwealth Parliament building. First of suffering the attack, the British royal, on his second day visiting the capital Canberra together with his wife Camilla, had given a speech on the historical relations between England and Australia, an ancient British colony.
King Charles attacked by Aboriginal Senator Thorpe: “You are not among us”
“Give us what you stole. Our bones, our skulls, our children, our people. You have destroyed our land, give us a treaty,” the independent senator continued to rant, approaching the stage from which King Charles had just finished his story about his student years in Australia. “You are not one of us. Stop your holidays”, was Thorpe’s last scream, as she was being removed by security.
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During the scene, the senator was wearing a possum fur, one of Australia’s most representative animals. Queen Elizabeth’s successor had spoken about the aborigines and indigenous communities, underlining everything he had learned from them. “My experience has been shaped and strengthened by their ancient wisdom,” he said minutes before Thorpe’s anger erupted.
Upon their arrival, the British royals were welcomed to Parliament by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition. Both thanked them for standing by the Australians. “You have shown great respect for us”, Albanese’s tribute. “Even during the periods in which we discussed the future of our constitutional agreements and the nature of our relationship with the crown”.
King Charles’ visit, his first after his cancer diagnosis, will continue for nine days, during which he will also travel to Samoa. The invitation to participate was extended to the heads of government of the six Australian states, all republicans, who however refused in protest.
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The era of British colonization in Australia
The protest against the royal of England and the reference to “genocide”, as defined by the senator, concerns the era of British colonization of Australia (from 1787 to 1901) during which thousands of Aboriginal people were killed. Despite independence in fact obtained after English rule, the country never became a Republic.
The attempt to amend the Constitution in 1999, rejected with a referendum, and that of 2023, which aimed to create an indigenous consultative assembly, but ended with the same outcome, were in vain. To this day, Australia remains one of the federal parliamentary monarchies belonging to the Commonwealth realm.
Who is Lidia Thorpe
Already in the past, Lidia Thorpe was the protagonist of controversial episodes regarding the relationship between Australia and the royal family. In 2022, during her swearing-in, she raised her right fist in protest and was reprimanded for words she spoke against the monarchy: “I solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful to the colonizer, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” But House Speaker Sue Lines called her to order: “Senator Thorpe, you must recite the oath as it is printed.”
King Charles III, the photo story of Elizabeth II’s heir
After the death of the sovereign, the throne passed to her firstborn. Born in London on 14 November 1948, after his first marriage to Diana Spencer – with whom he had two sons William and Harry – he remarried in 2005 to Camilla, now queen consort
THE NEW KING
- After Queen Elizabeth’s death, Charles became the new one king of the Kingdom (il oldest in British history to ascend to the throne). Next to him is Camilla, who Elizabeth had already designated for some time as “queen consort”. Charles chose the name Charles III
THE BIRTH
- Born in Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948Charles is the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Consort Philip Mountbatten
EDUCATION
- In the education of the young prince it is the figure of Lord Louis Mountbatten is fundamentaluncle of his father Philip and last viceroy of the Anglo-Indian Empire. Mountbatten also tries to arrange an engagement between Charles and another of his nieces, Amanda Knatchbull
