An Indigenous protestor was arrested for attempting to confront King Charles on the final day of his Australian tour, calling him “king of thieves”.
The monarch, 75, and his supporters were targeted by Wayne “Coco” Wharton, who encouraged the crowds gathered at the Sydney Opera House to leave with the King.
Mr Wharton said: “Go home with the King. He is a king of thieves and a king of liars. You have no receipt, you have no agreement on the occupation of this country. You are a nation of thieves. You’re guilty.”
Mr Wharton’s daughter, Nellie Pollard-Wharton, said he was attempting to issue an arrest notice for King Charles because of the royals’ historic treatment of Australia’s Aboriginal people.
This came after a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney, where the King met with First Nations elders. 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 royal couple will fly to Samoa from Australia for a three-day visit.
Key Points
- Aboriginal man arrested near Sydney Opera House on final day of royal tour
- King Charles visits pioneering Australian cancer centre
- Charles and Camilla continue tour after being confronted at parliamentary address
- Lidia Thorpe says royal family still has Indigenous ‘bones and skulls'
Lidia Thorpe protest criticised by Australian PM
Monday 21 October 2024 15:15
Athena Stavrou
Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, who campaigns on First Nations issues, disrupted Charles’s welcome to the capital Canberra with her protest on Monday.
Her comments were criticised by Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese, who attend the event and later told The Australian newspaper: “The actions of the independent senator in the Great Hall were disrespectful. This is not the standard of behaviour Australians rightly expect of parliamentarians.”
King and Queen continue royal tour with Samoa visit
03:50
Namita Singh
The King and Queen will receive a formal welcome when they arrive in Samoa for a state visit.
Charles and Camilla will be greeted by the country’s prime minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mataafa when they step off their jet.
Nearby will be an honour guard formed by the Samoan Police Force, who will be stood to attention for their royal guests.
Samoa is hosting a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) which has the theme “One Resilient Common Future”.
The King is head of the Commonwealth and for the first time will preside over the gathering of presidents and prime ministers, and formally open the event which will be attended by Sir Keir Starmer.
Charles deputised for Queen Elizabeth II during the last Chogm staged by Rwanda in 2022, and in Samoa will be joined by foreign secretary David Lammy.
Lidia Thorpe: Who is the Indigenous Australian MP who accused King Charles of genocide?
03:00
Emma Guinness
Australian senator Lidia Thorpe has made headlines around the world after denouncing King Charles following his Parliament House reception speech.
Lidia Thorpe, 51, accused the British monarchy of genocide in a fiery speech before telling Charles “you’re not my King” as he returned to his seat from a lectern in Canberra.
Ms Thorpe later told the BBC that she wanted to send “a clear message” to Charles. “To be sovereign you have to be of the land,” she said. “He is not of this land.”
Find out more about her background and activism here:
King Charles and Queen Camilla continue royal tradition at Government House
Tuesday 22 October 2024 21:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla continued a longstanding royal tradition when they visited Government House on their Australian tour.
They took the opportunity to plant Eucalyptus trees in the garden, as has been done to mark every royal visit since 1985.
King Charles praised for open discussion of cancer diagnosis
Tuesday 22 October 2024 18:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles was praised for his open discussion of his cancer diagnosis while visiting the Melanoma Institute Australia in Sydney on his royal tour.
The monarch, 75, announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease earlier this year following a routine procedure to treat an enlarged prostate.
He visited the institute to learn about its revolutionary approaches to treating melanoma, one of the most common types of cancer in Australia.
Prof Scoyler, a leading pathologist, said: “It’s courageous of the King to go public with his cancer journey.
“Everyone’s different about how they feel about a cancer diagnosis. Some people are happy to go public with it, but it’s not the same for all patients, and I think we should respect that.
“But for us, what we’ve been talking with the King about today is melanoma and the incredible advances that we’ve made here.”
A history of royal tours Down Under: From a young Queen Elizabeth II to Harry and Meghan’s baby joy
Tuesday 22 October 2024 17:00
Emma Guinness
The royal family has been regularly touring and visiting Australia since the late 19th century, with the country playing host to several key moments in their history.
In the wake of King Charles‘s first official tour of Australia as monarch, The Independent takes a look back at the most memorable royal tours in recent history.
Queen Camilla shines a light on Australians facing food insecurity
Tuesday 22 October 2024 16:00
Emma Guinness
Queen Camilla took the opportunity on the royal tour to put the eyes of the world on a community project helping Australians experiencing food insecurity.
As a patron of UK Harvest, she visited its Australian counterpart, Oz Harvest, where efforts are being made to help those facing hunger and reduce food waste.
King Charles learns about new bushfire prevention technology
Tuesday 22 October 2024 15:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles learned about new technology being developed to tackle bushfires on the second day of his Australian tour.
A post on the official royal family Twitter/X account read: The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency, is undertaking research, developing models and testing equipment, to study the spread of bushfires under a range of weather conditions.
“The King watched demonstrations and spoke to firefighters about their experience using newly developed equipment, thanks to CSIRO’s studies.”
Queen Camilla meets with young Australian writers
Tuesday 22 October 2024 14:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s packed schedule of engagements on their royal tour of Australia also saw the queen consort recognise the achievements of young, Australian writers.
A post on the official royal family Twitter/X account said: “At Green Square Library, Her Majesty spent time with talented young Australians taking part in workshops with authors, before meeting past winners of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (@RoyalCWSociety).”
Royal fans praise Australia tour - ‘It’s a historic occasion’
Tuesday 22 October 2024 13:00
Emma Guinness
Royal fans who had the opportunity to meet and glimpse King Charles and Queen Camilla on the second day of their Australian tour have praised the “historic occasion”.
The couple took the opportunity to greet their many well-wishers outside Parliament House in Canberra on Monday, where the king gave a poignant speech about his experience of Australia and vision for its future.
Kathy Carter and her family, who made “We love you” signs” said: “We would have sat here for another two hours. It’s the pomp and ceremony ... but on the other hand, they’re so realistic and down to earth.”
Dressed in a Union Jack-covered jacket, royal fan Serena added: “It’s a historic occasion.”
Charles and Camilla plant tree at Australian National Botanic Gardens
Tuesday 22 October 2024 12:30
Emma Guinness
The second day of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s ongoing tour also saw the couple visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.
The King not only inspected the plants on display but took the opportunity to plant a tree of his own, a water gum, which he requested to see again once it is a little bigger.
Indigenous man arrested near Sydney Opera House on final day of royal tour
Tuesday 22 October 2024 11:52
Emma Guinness
An Indigenous man was arrested near the Sydney Opera House today as he protested the ongoing royal visit.
Wayne “Coco” Wharton encouraged the crowd of well-wishers to leave Australia with the King.
“Go home with the King,” he said. “He is a King of thieves and a King of liars. You have no receipt, you have no agreement on the occupation of this country. You are a nation of thieves. You’re guilty.”
Following his arrest, the crowd cheered.
As he was being led away by authorities, Mr Wharton added: “What gives you the right to do this? These systems, these police, they create this environment. This King of England has the power to sack the prime minister, why doesn’t have the power to fix the wrongs he has done?”
Police told the protestor that the hundreds-strong crowd was there “for a nice peaceful day.”
According to Mr Wharton’s daughter, Nellie Pollard-Wharton, he was attempting to issue an arrest notice for King Charles because of the historic treatment of Australia’s aboriginal people.
King Charles III meets with members of Indigenous community
Tuesday 22 October 2024 11:30
Emma Guinness
King Charles was pictured embracing a member of Australia’s “stolen generation”, Uncle James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh.
The monarch, 75, simply said “Hugs are good” as he embraced Mr Welsh at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Sydney on the third day of his tour. The surprise embrace came after Mr Welsh admitted that he does not like handshakes.
Mr Welsh, 72, was taken from his family when he was just eight years old and placed in the Kinchela boys home, where he was given the number 36.
The so-called stolen generation were systematically removed from their families in a bid to eradicate Indigenous culture. The policy came to an end in 1970.
Mr Welsh said: “It was good he was there and he appreciated the hug as he hugged me back. I had a really good feeling about him. I got the feeling he is somebody who genuinely cares.
“I wouldn’t mind sitting down and having a yarn with him, to be honest, and tell him everything that has happened and how to help the children coming up for a better future.”
Charles and Camilla complete Royal Navy fleet review
Tuesday 22 October 2024 11:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla have completed the final engagement of their Australian tour – a fleet review of the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney Harbour.
This brings to a close the Australian tour of the couple’s ongoing tour. They will now travel to Samoa, where they are scheduled to undertake two days’ worth of engagements.
King Charles brushes off Indigenous protest on final day of tour
Tuesday 22 October 2024 10:10
Emma Guinness
King Charles appears to have brushed off a protest from an Indigenous Australian senator on the third and final day of his tour.
During a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney, the King met with First Nations elders. One told him their goal was “sovereignty” in an apparent reference to a protest 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.”
Ms Thorpe, of English, Irish, Djab Wurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara descent, from Victoria, has long advocated for a treaty between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians to recognise their autonomy and set right historical wrongs.
King Charles visits pioneering Australian cancer centre
Tuesday 22 October 2024 10:04
Emma Guinness
King Charles visited a pioneering Australian cancer centre on the final day of his Australian tour.
The monarch met with brain cancer survivor Richard Scolyer at the Melanoma Institute Australia, who is in remission after undergoing pioneering surgery last year.
He also learned about the work being done at the centre to combat melanoma – one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer in Australia.
“That was an amazing opportunity for us to tell the king about what we’re doing here trying to deal with Australia’s national cancer, and to talk about how we’re trying to get to zero deaths from melanoma,” Mr Scolyer said.
Charles, 75, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier this year. He has temporarily paused his treatment for the duration of his ongoing tour.
In pictures: King Charles meets alpaca on second day of Australian tour
Tuesday 22 October 2024 10:00
Emma Guinness
King Charles was met by an unusual royal well-wisher on the second day of his tour of Australia – nine-year-old alpaca, Hephner.
The pair met at the Australian War Memorial, where the king and queen consort laid wreaths in honour of Australia’s fallen on Tuesday.
Owner Robert Fletcher said: “The King just looked in disbelief. But it’s just who Hefner is. He is an alpaca after all.
“He doesn’t bite and he doesn’t spit. He’s always on his best behaviour anyway.
“And he is a pro-monarchy alpaca.”
Queen Victoria statue vandalised in Sydney ahead of royal visit
Tuesday 22 October 2024 09:30
Emma Guinness
A statue of Queen Victoria has been defaced with red paint in Sydney ahead of the final day of the Australian leg of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal tour.
The statue is located close to the Sydney Opera House, where the royals met with the public today as they celebrated its 50th anniversary.
This comes hot on the heels of a high-profile protest from Australian senator Lidia Thrope, who shouted “You’re not my King!” after Charles’s speech at Parliament House in Canberra.
King Charles and Queen Camilla meet well-wishers at Sydney Opera House
Tuesday 22 October 2024 09:19
Emma Guinness
King Charles and Queen Camilla have met the public at the Sydney Opera House.
Hundreds of people turned up to glimpse and meet the king and queen consort on their final day of engagements on the Australian leg of their tour.
The royals were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic opera house.
King Charles urges Australia to take leading role in climate change fight
Tuesday 22 October 2024 08:56
Emma Guinness
King Charles urged Australia to take a leading role in the fight against climate change in his Parliament House speech on the second day of his royal tour.
On Monday, the King asserted that Australia’s character “is hardly more vivid” than when it is “tested by disaster” and cited several examples of devastating natural events that have taken place in recent years.
He said he is always “deeply impressed” by the “extraordinary bravery and resilience” of the Australian people for their willingness to “battle on” before acknowledging the role that climate change is playing in these events.
“Australia has all of the natural ingredients to create a more sustainable, regenerative way of living, by harnessing the power with which nature has endowed the nation,” he said. “Whether it be wind or its famous sunshine, Australia is tracking the path towards a better and safer future.”
Charles launches Australian version of his King’s Foundation charity
Tuesday 22 October 2024 07:41
Tara Cobham
The King has launched an Australian version of his King’s Foundation charity.
Charles unveiled the plans for The King’s Foundation Australia at a special reception at Admiralty House in Sydney during his high-profile royal tour.
The charity’s first project will be as the custodian of the Hillview Estate in Sutton Forest, New South Wales, working to restore the historic property and its surrounding land.
The state-heritage listed former summer residence of the governor of New South Wales will serve as The King’s Foundation Australia’s permanent base and be developed as a “landmark cultural hub”, the charity said.
Inspiration has been taken from the regeneration of Dumfries House – an 18th century mansion in Ayrshire, Scotland, which now acts as The King’s Foundation’s headquarters after it was saved for the nation in 2007 by a consortium led by Charles as the Prince of Wales.
The King set up his original foundation, previously called The Prince’s Foundation, to train the next generation of skilled craftspeople – including in building, carpentry, fashion and textiles – in heritage techniques essential to many traditional industries.
Practical education and training programmes in traditional and heritage craft will also be developed at Hillview.
Kristina Murrin, the Australian-born chief executive of The King’s Foundation, said the new foundation was a sign of Charles’s affection for Australia.
Watch: Alpaca sneezes on King Charles during walkabout in Australia
Tuesday 22 October 2024 07:39
Tara Cobham
Charles and Camilla take charge of the tongs at Sydney ‘sausage sizzle’ barbeque
Tuesday 22 October 2024 07:38
Tara Cobham
The King and Queen flipped sausages on a barbecue when they joined locals in a park for a taste of suburban life in Sydney.
In New South Wales’ blistering sunshine, Charles and Camilla gave chefs a hand tending the snags – or sausages – grilling on the barbecue.
The King was handed some tongs and clicked them in anticipation and the Queen did the same before they set about making sure the “top tucker” cooked evenly, with Charles looking after the vegetarian option and his wife the beef bangers.
Restaurant manager Scott McCoy, 42, was looking after the barbecue and said it was an “honour” to have some royal helpers.
Known by his nickname Chop, he added: “They said the sausages were amazing, they didn’t try them but they could see.”
The 42-year-old who manages the BlackBear BBQ restaurant in Sydney said: “It’s amazing they’re here helping us to cook.”
In a speech to the guests, Charles said: “… I am so delighted to be here, in Parramatta – an excellent choice for a community barbecue, since Parramatta was a place where First Nations people from around the region also came together for generations to meet and to trade food.
“It is a particular delight to see and smell all the ‘top tucker’ here today, from Western Sydney’s vibrant and diverse community.”
He added: “As we are happily rediscovering today, New South Wales farmers continue to produce truly outstanding food and wine.
“It is no wonder, I think, that Sydney is world famous for its cuisine, whether it’s smashed avo, a pav, or a Cab Sav and that is what I hope has been on display!”
King faces Indigenous activists for second day in a row on Australia tour
Tuesday 22 October 2024 07:21
Tara Cobham
The King 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”.
The visit came after the King was accused on Monday of “genocide” against Australia’s First Nations by senator Lidia Thorpe who told him “You are not my King”.
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.”
Watch moment King Charles heckled by Australian senator Lidia Thorpe: ‘You are not my King’
Tuesday 22 October 2024 07:00
Athena Stavrou
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.
Full story: King Charles heckled by Australian senator shouting ‘you are not my king’
Tuesday 22 October 2024 05:30
Athena Stavrou
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”.
“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:
Senator Lidia Thorpe shares beheaded King Charles cartoon on Instagram after monarchy heckle
Tuesday 22 October 2024 04:00
Athena Stavrou
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.”
Read the full story here:
Voices: It takes more than an angry Aussie heckler to ruffle King Charles’s feathers…
Tuesday 22 October 2024 02:30
Athena Stavrou
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:
Watch: Prince William reveals crucial parenting motto during community football visit
Tuesday 22 October 2024 00:01
Athena Stavrou
King Charles and Queen Camilla to travel to Samoa
Tuesday 22 October 2024 14:24
Emma Guinness
Following their six-day tour of Australia, King Charles and Queen Camilla will make their way to Samoa on Wednesday.
One of the key events of the two-day visit will be the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, which will be attended by representatives from 56 different countries.
In the King’s first Commonwealth Day message last year, he said: “Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold.”
Lidia Thorpe says royal family still has Indigenous ‘bones and skulls’
Monday 21 October 2024 22:30
Athena Stavrou
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.”
Who is the Australian senator who confronted King Charles?
Monday 21 October 2024 21:00
Athena Stavrou
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.
Full story: King Charles heckled by Australian senator shouting ‘you are not my king’
Monday 21 October 2024 19:30
Athena Stavrou
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”.
“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: