The British King and Queen are on a nine-day visit to Australia and Samoa.
Britain’s King Charles III was heckled by Indigenous MPs after arriving in Australia for the first visit by a reigning monarch in more than a decade.
Prince Charles, on his first royal tour since announcing his cancer diagnosis in February, was confronted on Monday after delivering a speech in Australia’s parliament calling for stronger action on climate change. .
“You have committed genocide against our people. Give us back our land! Give us back what you stole from us!” shouted Sen. Lydia Thorpe. is.
“Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land!
“This is not your land!” Thorpe continued as he was led away by security.
Mr Thorpe, the first Indigenous person to represent Victoria in the Senate, was previously photographed turning away as “God Save the King” was played in anticipation of Mr Charles’ arrival. Ta.
Australia was settled by the British in the late 18th century, resulting in the mass displacement of Aboriginal communities and countless deaths from disease and frontier genocide.
Although the country has been de facto independent from the United Kingdom since 1901, it remains a Commonwealth territory with the British King as the head of state.
Australians voted to retain the monarchy in a referendum in 1999, and last year rejected proposals to recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution and establish an Indigenous consultative body.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he wants Australia to become a republic, but has ruled out holding a referendum on the issue during the current parliamentary term.
Prince Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Sydney on Friday to begin a nine-day tour of Australia and Samoa.
Prince Charles urged Australia to play a leading role in the fight against climate change in a speech to parliament, saying the increasing intensity of bushfires and flooding in the country was an “unmistakable sign” of global warming. asked them to fulfill the following.
“Australia has all the natural ingredients to create a more sustainable and regenerative way of life,” said Charles, a long-time environmental activist.
“Whether it’s the wind or our famous sun, Australia is on the path to a better, safer future by harnessing the power of nature that’s gifted to us. We’re good stewards of the world. It is in our interest to become, and it is good for those who come after us.”
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla laid flowers at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on the same day.
On Sunday, the King and Queen attended a church service in Sydney after resting the day before.
