King Charles was ‘unruffled’ by Senator Lidia Thorpe’s protest in Parliament

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe’s loud protest of King Charles and Queen Camilla has become a defining moment. Senator Thorpe, an Aboriginal Australian independent politician, protested pledging an oath to then-Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and Thorpe has been a long-time vocal advocate for Aboriginal rights. She didn’t just wake up on Monday and decide to protest Charles and Camilla. Her protest, in Australian Parliament, was Thorpe speaking the truth across the board. I’ve seen a lot of Australians supporting her online, but those supporters are being met with a highly coordinated and aggressive monarchist pushback. I’m not saying Buckingham Palace released a bot farm, but there’s a lot happening all at once, and the knives are out for Thorpe. It’s fascinating to watch the British media grapple with how to discuss Thorpe and her protest too. From Becky English’s “analysis” at the Daily Mail (English is traveling with Charles and Camilla):

Charles had just sat down after offering his most sincerest of thanks for the warmth of the welcome he has received in the country which now calls him King. Even Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – a life-long republican who set up a now defunct ministry to bring about separation from Crown – had taken to the stage to describe attending his coronation as ‘one of the honours of my life’.

Suddenly the cordial bonhomie of the Great Hall at Australian Parliament House was riven with the profanities of infamous indigenous rights campaigner and senator, Lidia Thorpe, live on television. Security officials acted quickly to remove her within just feet of the media, but the shock was palpable as guests struggled at first to work out what on earth was happening. However as word quickly spread, members of the public and Australian colleagues began to roll their eyes.

‘I know exactly who that is without even having to look at the footage,’ sighed one journalist resignedly to me, before they peered at the video on my phone. Others said they would have ‘put money on her pulling such a stunt’.

Interestingly, the King was, I am told, ‘unruffled’ by the incident and is determined not to allow it to overshadow the ‘wonderful’ welcome he has received. Several hours later, he still hadn’t even mentioned it, apparently. Others are, however, more far more angry on his behalf.

Senator Babet wrote on X in the strongest of terms, ‘condemning’ Thorpe’s actions. ‘She hurled abuse at our King. To show such utter disrespect to King Charles, who has travelled to Australia despite ongoing cancer treatment is disgusting,’ he said, adding that it was she who owed the King and the Australian people an apology, not the other way around.

Interestingly, many Australians I have met in recent days feel it is the British who are more obsessed with the issue of independence than they are. One lovely man even grabbed me outside the New South Wales legislature on Sunday and begged me not to ‘write them off’. He insisted that the die-hard republicans were actually in a minority compared to the monarchists, while many other Australians are actually indifferent either way: they really do have more things to worry about.

[From The Daily Mail]

This is funny and sad. Years ago, I realized that these “royal foreign tours” were not actually about diplomacy or showing respect to other cultures or highlighting Commonwealth ties or what have you. Royal tours are almost entirely about the royals performing for their domestic audience. It’s not that Charles and Camilla give a sh-t about what Australians really think about them, nor do they give a sh-t about Australia in general. They only care about performing skits abroad, and having those skits translated through the British media to their domestic British audience. Charles wants people – British people – to think that he was unruffled by a rude, unpleasant woman who has no support (despite the fact that Thorpe is an elected official and Charles is not).

Thorpe isn’t shutting up either. She’s extremely brave, not just for her protest, but for her refusal to back down as the Australian and British establishments line up against her.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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31 Responses to “King Charles was ‘unruffled’ by Senator Lidia Thorpe’s protest in Parliament”

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  1. Fastgran50 says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:34 am

    The Australian really have a dislike for aboriginal people. One poor aboriginal guy was arrested at the opera house protesting even before Charles arrived.I hate the way some of the Australian officials are sucking up to Charles and Camilla. Why have they gone there they aren’t doing anything for charities or other good causes. As far as I can see it’s for their own PR Charles vanity. An if course the British media press pack they have with them. He’s trying to prove he’s as popular as his estranged son.

    • Sydneygirl says:
      October 22, 2024 at 7:42 am

      I’m Australian and I take offence at that huge generalisation.

      Don’t drink the kool-aid being served out by the pro-monarchy media monopoly that we unfortunately have here in Oz. They are as bad as the British tabloids.

      Senator Thorpe and our Indigenous population have a lot of support here.

    • S says:
      October 22, 2024 at 7:58 am

      The British dehumanised Aboriginal people, allowign them to visit all kinds of atrocities on them. Australians have to overcome centuries of propaganda and tackle the ongoing issues, which they seem to be trying to do. The British still have a sneering, condescending attitude to all Australians. First, describing them as ‘drongo’ and ungrateful when the senators decided to keep working rather than hobknob with Chuckie. Now, suggesting it ruder for Lidia Thorpe to demand justice, than for the crown to cling on to the bones and skulls of her ancestors.

    • Holly says:
      October 22, 2024 at 5:23 pm

      @fastgran50 I strongly disagree with your comment that “The Australian [sic] really have a dislike for aboriginal people.”

      You may mean that there is entrenched racism, which is true. However many Australians, myself included, believe that we are on sovereign land, never ceded, and that the First Nations people deserve reparations and a treaty.

      Everything that Senator Linda Thorpe states is true. There needs to be a reckoning for the Aboriginal people. The Colonisers (including the British Monarchy) have been made insanely wealthy on the backs of others, and it is abhorrent that the status quo remains. Until that time we are an uneasy, flawed nation.

  2. Sydneygirl says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:37 am

    There’s a plague of British reporters all over every mainstream Australian TV channel at the moment and I can’t wait for them to bugger off home.

    Australian TV is pro-monarchy and leads many to think the rest of the population is too.

    From what I’ve heard from friends and family even those who disagree with her delivery, dont think Senator Thorpe was wrong. She wasn’t. She was absolutely right about what British rule did to Iindigenous Australians.

    And there is still a marked imbalance today.

    The calls for her to step down are ridiculous

    Charles may be putting on a brave face but I think he’s rattled.

  3. sunnyside up says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:38 am

    She was right to complain, and I hope she continues to complain. We treated the locals appallingly.

  4. sevenblue says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:42 am

    Wow, they really said to her, if you don’t wanna bow down to the British King, why are you representing your people? She is an elected representative, unlike Charles. She is there to advocate for her people. Protesting the King is part of it, since all the other diplomatic means were shut down by the Palace. Charles could choose to sit down with her and have an open conversation in a private setting. He chose not to do it. What else should she have done?

  5. Becks1 says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:52 am

    I find this incident disturbing because its highlighting how deep the brainwashing goes for a lot of people – the idea that Charles has earned more respect than this (how?) or the notion of “how dare she confront him like that” because I guess the way to show you disagree with the king is just to keep your mouth shut etc.

    This really feels like the DM is trying to assure its readers that the Australians love the monarchy and love their king and its just disturbing to me that the propaganda is running so deep.

    • Jais says:
      October 22, 2024 at 9:40 am

      This. And disturbing is a good word for it. The idea that it isn’t the British monarchy that has been more than rude and downright violent towards aboriginals. And somehow Lidia is being called rude bc the British are all about being polite and genteel. That’s a joke. They have in fact been very impolite and rude to all the countries they colonized. Gaslighting. And yes disturbing af.

  6. Anonymous says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:53 am

    Well done by her! F chuckles and the entire rotten royal blood/life sucking establishment. Down With The Crown!!!

  7. Shelly Bean says:
    October 22, 2024 at 7:53 am

    Australian here with some side eye info. I’m in Perth and we just had our annual Telethon that raises money for the local childrens hospital. Charles “sent a message” to the Telethon about how great the West Australian community is for raising so much money. Meanwhile His Royal Highness and his horse wife donated bugger all. Cheers big ears.

    • Fastgran50 says:
      October 22, 2024 at 8:19 am

      The only people I have heard that actually give money to causes are Harry and Meghan. The rest of the royals hold onto their money like misers. Although the British press would have you believe that Charles give millions to charities every year.

  8. Tessa says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:17 am

    He probably threw a tantrum when he got to the hotel or wherever he was staying. His poor courtiers were probably blame d

  9. Cassie says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:18 am

    I have tried to avoid tv the last few days because the pro monarchy saturation was making me angry .
    The snippets I have seen , seem to be rehabilitating Camillas image here in Australia , more than anything .
    Diana was very loved here .
    I heard some old monarchist say that she has made my King happy so that makes me happy .🤮
    The media have been pumping her up bigtime .
    This trip must have cost a fortune the security itself was mind blowing .
    So glad it’s over , they can f off now , hope they never come back and it was their farewell trip .

    • Tessa says:
      October 22, 2024 at 8:22 am

      I don’t get how monarchists go on about Charles having to be made happy. Nothing about it he makes other people happy. Diana should have been made happy too. It just enables Charles being self centered.

  10. Thena says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:28 am

    I would think that Charles was unruffled because of all the practice he’s been getting at ignoring protestors at his events.

  11. Amy Bee says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:34 am

    It’s interesting to see the Royal rota and commentators get upset and try to ridicule Lidia Thorpe. These same people always talk about freedom of speech.

  12. aquarius64 says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:34 am

    BS on claims that Charles was unruffled. Sen. Thorpe humiliated him in front of the Australian Parliament and it’s international news. The US media has picked this up. If Charles was upset about Diana upstaging him during a tour he is certainly p’od about another woman showing him up. The Aussies apparently didn’t like this happening on their watch. Demanding Thorpe to resign means they have no procedural or legal means to remove her for her protest. Dragging her only keeps the incident alive. Based on some comments here not everyone is a ride or die for the Crown (aka monarchist). I hope Thorpe and her family will be OK because some royalists may move to destroy her after this.

    • Unicorn leprechaun says:
      October 22, 2024 at 9:18 am

      I think the calls for her to resign stems mainly from:
      Their embarrassment at her outburst and not being able to contain this (particularly in a parliamentary platform),
      And;
      The fact she’s a female AND an Indigenous Australian, and they’re just a racist lot.

      It’s not because they’re staunch monarchists; that’s just a good excuse to pile on

  13. Lala11_7 says:
    October 22, 2024 at 8:44 am

    An INK PEN sent King Charles into a SEETHING 🤬 PUBLIC RAGE…so I KNOW that an INDIGENOUS WOMAN…WHOSE CRY OF INJUSTICE RAISED MY ANCESTORS & MY SHARED SORROW…😭…ruffled his feathers 🪶 and PISSED HIM TF OFF!

  14. Kadie says:
    October 22, 2024 at 10:34 am

    The bots are OUT on her IG and any IG accounts reporting on her protest. The comments are brutal, cruel, and historically ignorant. The current media landscape is fighting for their livelihood so a bot farm is cheaper and easier. Attacking a woman is low hanging fruit but no royal reporter is a card carrying Mensa member and the majority are too old to change. Plus, this gives them something to write about on a trip that is as exciting as a wet noodle.
    When you run and hide like Cuck has done, then whatever happens, happens.

  15. Lady Digby says:
    October 22, 2024 at 11:31 am

    I was pleased that Daniella Relph on BBC today commented that it was uncomfortable for KC to be confronted like that but the Firm are just relieved that KC made the trip at all! K C has sailed through life leaving damage in his wake so I am glad that a strong woman told him some home truths in public and he was made uncomfortable, if only for a few minutes. My only concern.is that our brave Sen Thorpe isn’t given the duffing up that Ngozi Fulani received in 2022 : being harassed and investigated.

  16. yipyip says:
    October 22, 2024 at 12:32 pm

    You know Charles wants to be loved, loved, loved by crowds.
    This is a man who was jealous of his own wife in public. Diana was beloved and her hated that.

    Unruffled? He better get used to the public turning against the Monarchy.
    If he wants to keep his job, he should stay home and do actual work to improve life in the UK.
    He’s lucky his team can and do control the protesters in public.

    This Senator is an elected Rep of the Govt., good for her for speaking up!

  17. vpd4 says:
    October 22, 2024 at 12:53 pm

    Camilla is so low-class.

  18. Vuyelwa Ncube says:
    October 22, 2024 at 5:55 pm

    He has a creepy ability to watch the peasants like animals in a zoo. I can never forget how he didn’t even flinch when eggs were thrown at him He literally just stared, like “how peculiar”

  19. bisynaptic says:
    October 25, 2024 at 3:03 am

    Senator Babet is another closeted right-wing nut job. English is in good company.