King Charles and Queen Camilla land in Samoa after controversial start to tour in Australia

King Charles and Queen Camilla land in Samoa after controversial start to tour in Australia

Reuters
Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 23/10/2024

- 07:21

Updated: 23/10/2024

- 08:23

The King and Queen have landed at Faleolo International Airport

King Charles and Queen Camilla have landed in Samoa after a controversial start to their tour in Australia.

The King, 75, and Queen, 77, have arrived at Faleolo International Airport ahead of the Samoa leg of their royal tour of the South Pacific.


King Charles is visiting the country to attend the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Queen Camilla looked beautiful as she stepped off the plane, wearing a pink tunic and white trousers by designer Anna Valentine.

\u200bKing Charles and Queen CamillaKing Charles and Queen Camilla land in Samoa after controversial start to tour in AustraliaReuters

Their Majesties' royal tour of the South Pacific got off to a controversial start, as the King was heckled by an Australian senator.

Lidia Thorpe shouted "Not my King" at Charles during his visit to Parliament.

In his first trip to the country as monarch, King Charles gave a speech to the delegates in Canberra's chamber as he was interrupted by Thorpe's outburst.

Before being escorted out of the building by security, Thorpe told the monarch "give us our land back" and "you are not my King" in a powerful, rage-filled display against the British Head of State.

King Charles and Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla wearing a pink tunic and white trousers by designer Anna Valentine

PA

The Australian senator was later forced to issued an apology statement after a member of her team posted a cartoon of the monarch beheaded, sparking furious backlash online.

A member of Senator Thorpe's team reposted a cartoon of King Charles's head lying next to a crown on her Instagram story.

The King's eyes were shown with crosses, and the crown was on the left of the monarch's head.

The post, posted and created by Matt Chun, co-editor of anti-imperialist publication The Sunday Paper, was captioned "You are not our king" and contained a video of the senator's protest.

King Charles and Queen Camilla

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Faleolo International Airport

Reuters

King Charles

King Charles is visiting the country to attend the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)

Reuters

In her statement she said: "I would not intentionally share anything that could be seen to encourage violence against anyone."

King Charles was also seen looking surprised as an alpaca sneezed on him during a visit to Canberra.

The monarch is understood to have "paused" his cancer treatment for the duration of the royal tour to the South Pacific.

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