King Charles’ royal visit to Australia is not going according to plan.
With Queen Camilla by his side, Charles delivered a speech at the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.
Things started off smoothly enough, with Charles addressing the threat of climate change and reminiscing about previous trips to Australia.
King Charles Suffers Embarrassing Scene In Australia
At the conclusion of the king’s speech, Lidia Thorpe, an independent senator from the state of Victoria, stepped forward and loudly expressed her disapproval.
“This is not your country, you are not our king,” Thorpe shouted.
“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, as she was removed from the venue.
“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.”
As security escorted her from the premises, Thorpe shouted, “F–k the colony.”
Needless to say, this was not the sort of reception that Charles anticipated. And it’s the latest in a long line of setbacks for the British monarch.
Charles’ Horrible Year
In a 1992 speech, Queen Elizabeth II famously described the previous 12 months as “an annus horribilis.”
And as 2024 comes to a close, Charles can look back on a similar year of misfortune.
As you’re probably aware, Charles has been battling cancer. And while it’s a good sign that he’s well enough to travel internationally, sources have indicated that he’s not out of the woods.
The nature and severity of the king’s illness remain a mystery.
But multiple outlets have reported that Charles is battling pancreatic cancer, a condition with a tragically low survival rate.
Whatever the case, Charles is clearly committed to carrying out his royal duties for as long as he’s physically capable of doing so.
His visit to Australia was his first as king, and he’ll follow it up with a trip to Samoa, where he’ll join world leaders at the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
In keeping with the usual protocol surrounding royal scandals, Charles has yet to publicly respond to Thorpe’s allegations.
But you can bet that he wasn’t thrilled with what transpired. Those who know him best say that Charles is very cognizant of the fact that he won’t have many years to cement his legacy.
And each new controversy makes it that much less likely that he’ll remembered as a competent and capable king.