The King is said to be “unruffled” after a Victoria Senator accused him of “genocide” and screamed “you are not our King” inside Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra last week.
Senator Lidia Thorpe, who is known for similar protests in the past and has Aboriginal heritage, interrupted at the end of King Charles’ speech on Monday in the Great Hall.
She shouted at His Majesty for around a minute, before being escorted out of the room by security in front of several news cameras and politicians.
During his speech to Australian lawmakers just before the outburst, The King acknowledged the Aboriginal land that had been inhabited for 65,000 years - long before colonisation by the British.
The King is said to be “unruffled” after a Victoria Senator accused him of “genocide” and screamed “you are not our King” inside Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra last week.
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Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who himself is a republican, thought the protest was “rude, outrageous and entirely inappropriate”.
A senior palace official has now revealed King Charles was “completely unruffled” by the incident and kept his composure during the unexpected outburst.
The official continued, “He’s been around a long time. As always, he kept calm, and carried on.”
Palace sources stress they always thought a noisy protest was a possibility, but felt it was important to press ahead as planned.
Senator Lidia Thorpe, who is known for similar protests in the past and has Aboriginal heritage, interrupted at the end of King Charles’ speech on Monday in the Great Hall.
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King Charles believes that “free speech is the cornerstone of democracy, and so everyone is entitled to their views,” according to the senior palace official.
During his trip to Australia, His Majesty visited the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney.
NCIE is a not-for-profit organisation, which aims to build solid foundations and futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
One First Nations activist told King Charles directly that their goal was “sovereignty”.
His Majesty privately met a number of First Nations people, tackling the issue of an uncomfortable colonial past head-on.
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Next year, The King is expected to carry out a spring and Autumn tour, with visits to other overseas realms not ruled out.
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The King “has not ducked” away from the issue, says a senior palace official, it’s “very easy to run away from some of these issues. But the King isn’t one for doing that.”
His Majesty is a firm believer in listening to their stories.
The official added: “He is always someone who wants to understand before he says anything. He’s a listener more than he’s a talker.”
Next year, The King is expected to carry out a spring and Autumn tour, with visits to other overseas realms not ruled out.
It is understood the visits are in the early stages of planning, and the destinations have not yet been decided and will be subject to medical advice nearer the time.
