‘Embarrassing’: Australia’s 1st Female Indigenous Senator Responds to Thorpe’s Outburst at King Charles III

Australian politician, former Greens now independent Senator Lidia Thorpe heckles King Charles III during the ceremonial welcome and Parliamentary reception at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 21, 2024. Victoria Jones - Pool/Getty Images

The first Aboriginal Australian woman elected to the federal parliament, Nova Peris, has expressed concern at the “disrespectful” outburst by Victorian Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during a ceremony for King Charles III, who is on his first Australian tour as sovereign.

Thorpe was removed by Parliament House security officers on Oct. 21 after she began yelling at the monarch phrases like: “You are not our king.”

In a post to X, former Senator Peris said she was deeply disappointed by Thorpe’s actions.

“Her outburst, which disrupted what should have been a respectful event, was both embarrassing and disrespectful to our nation and the Royal Family,” Peris said.

Peris, also an Olympic gold medallist, said Thorpe’s actions do not reflect the manners or approach to reconciliation of Aboriginal Australians at large.

“They reflect only her, and it is important to clarify that the vast majority of us would not engage in this unconstructive confrontational way,” she said.

She extended her sincere apologies to the king and queen on behalf of those who value mutual respect and the dignity of Australia.

“When King Charles visited Yolngu Country in 2018, he was welcomed with great respect and warmth by the traditional owners of the land, who honoured him with a traditional ceremony,” she added.

Peris also said she supported the idea of Australia becoming a republic and ending official ties with the royal family.

“For over two decades, I have supported the principle that Australia should one day become a republic. Indeed, as a former co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement I advocated strongly for this,” she said.

“However, it is crucial to acknowledge that such decisions are for the Australian people to make through democratic means—not through rude interruptions or public outbursts.”

Thorpe has promoted footage of the commotion at the ceremony for the king on her social media accounts.

“You are not sovereign. 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. You destroyed out land,” she said.

Thorpe was elected as part of the Greens Party to be a senator for Victoria in 2020, but resigned from the party 2023 after a falling out over her stance on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. She now sits on the crossbench.

The senator is no stranger to controversy and public stunts. In 2022 during her swearing-in ceremony, she modified the words to the official oath delivered when MPs take office. In 2023, Thorpe was knocked down by police after she rushed a rally featuring women’s rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.

King Pays Respect to Indigenous People

King Charles and Queen Camilla will end their Australian tour on Oct. 23, and will then travel to Samoa for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The king appeared calm during the outburst at the Great Hall of Parliament House during the parliamentary reception hosted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

During his speech, he said he appreciated the Welcome to Country ceremony, which offered him the opportunity to pay his respects to the traditional owners on the lands.

“Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations peoples have done me the great honour of sharing, so generously, their stories and cultures. I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom,” he said.

King Charles noted the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and war on people and society.

“It requires more of our minds, our hearts and our hands. It also requires us to come together with courage, care, and compassion,” he said.

“The challenges we now face call us to show not only constancy and valour, but also humanity, empathy, and generosity of spirit.”

UK Prime Minister Responds

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the king’s response to the outburst, saying he was an incredible ambassador for the UK and the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth.

In response to the Thorpe incident specifically, he said, “Look, I think the king is doing a fantastic job, an incredible ambassador, not just for our country, but across the Commonwealth.”

‘Utter Disrespect’: Senator Babet

Meanwhile, United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet said King Charles and the Australian people should be demanding an apology from Thorpe.

“To show such utter disrespect to King Charles, who has traveled to Australia, despite ongoing cancer treatment, is disgusting,” he said.

The Australian Monarchist League also condemned the outburst, calling for Thorpe to resign from parliament.

“The Australian Monarchist League unequivocally condemns the ill-considered behavior of this isolated senator,” National Chairman Philip Benwell said.

“Her childish demonstration has done nothing to diminish the gratitude and pride that millions of Australians have for our country, its history, its peoples and its sound system of governance. In fact, it has likely only strengthened these feelings.”

Liberal Victoria Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads Bev McArthur said Thorpe’s outburst was disrespectful not just to Charles, but to her parliamentary colleagues, the prime minister, the Parliament, and to all Australians.

“It sets a shocking example to the school children who were at the event in Canberra, and to all those who will see the footage subsequently,” she said.