'You are not our King': Indigenous senator shouts at Charles in Australian parliament
ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports from Australia as the King was heckled by an indigenous politician in the country's parliament
An indigenous politician shouted at King Charles in Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, demanding an apology for the taking of land by British settlers.
Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe walked up the aisle of the Great Hall where King Charles had just finished giving a speech, shouting: “You destroyed our lives” and “you stole our land”.
She shouted for about a minute, pressing for an apology and saying: "You are not our King".
"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," she continued.
She was gently ushered out of the hall by security guards as the King turned to speak to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was also on the stage in the building’s great hall.
Speaking to the Australian Channel 7 news outside Parliament House after the incident, Ms Thorpe said: "I certainly got a few nods from aboriginal people in the room to show that they support my resistance, which is the resistance of my people for over 200 years."
"We'll continue to resist the colony until we have a peacemaking treaty where we can celebrate this country together. We are the real sovereigns. And we will resist always. Until we have peace," she added.
When asked about the incident, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the King's "fantastic" work during his Australia tour.
The PM was asked by a reporter if it was “disgraceful” that Australian politicians “are heckling the King” - to which he responded: "I think he’s doing a fantastic job, and we should remember in the context of health, that he is out there doing his public service notwithstanding the health challenges he himself has had".
Charles and Camilla have faced low-key protests during their tour of Australia from supporters of First Nations resistance to colonisation, who have been displaying a banner with the word “decolonise” at a number of events.
On Monday, an indigenous leader who welcomed the royals with a traditional smoking ceremony when they landed in Canberra, later called on the King to apologise for colonial wrongs.
Aunty Serena Williams, from the Ngunnawal people, told reporters: "We all have roles and responsibilities, and I have roles and responsibilities to my people. And I think an apology would be beautiful."
When asked if that meant the King himself should say sorry, she replied: "Yes. Because we have to acknowledge our past."
The capital city region of Australia is on Ngunnawal land, a territory inhabited by First Nations people who have lived there for more than 20,000 years.
During his address in parliament, the King referenced the ceremony by Aunty Serena Williams, saying he "deeply" appreciated the gesture, which he said offered the chance "to pay my respects to the traditional owners of the land on which we meet".
"In my many visits to Australia I witnessed the courage and hope that have guided the nation's long and sometimes difficult journey towards reconciliation," the King said.
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This is the Talking Royals - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson