King accused of genocide against indigenous people during Australia visit

AN AUSTRALIAN senator accused King Charles today of “genocide” against her nation’s indigenous people, declaring: “You are not my king.”

Lidia Thorpe, who campaigns on First Nations issues, disrupted the monarch’s welcome to the capital Canberra, overshadowing a speech in which he highlighted his debt to the descendants of Australia’s original inhabitants.

Mr Windsor and his wife Camilla have faced demonstrations during their tour of Australia, which began today, by supporters of First Nations resistance to colonisation.

Graham Smith, chief executive of British anti-monarchist campaign group Republic, was among protesters outside the Australian Parliament as Mr Windsor arrived.

In response to Ms Thorpe’s action, Mr Smith posted on X: “Protest isn’t tolerated around the royals.

“Outside parliament, we were kept well away from them.

“Royals should always be met by protest.”

After the King had spoken to guests at Parliament House, Ms Thorpe, who wore a possum skin coat and carried a traditional message stick, shouted: “You are not our king, you are not sovereign … you have committed genocide against our people.

“Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us… Our babies, our people. You destroyed our land.”

As she was ushered out of the building’s hall, she yelled: “Give us a treaty — we want a treaty with this country.

“This is not your land, this is not your land, you are not my king, you are not our king.”

She said she had been prevented from handing the British royal a “notice of complicity in Aboriginal genocide” under the 1998 statute of the International Criminal Court.

The senator said later in a statement: “The British crown committed heinous crimes against the First Peoples of this country.

“These crimes include war crimes, crimes against humanity and failure to prevent genocide.

“There has been no justice for these crimes. The crown must be held accountable.”

The royal family have increasingly been confronted with the issues of colonialism, reparations for slavery and improved rights for indigenous people during visits to Commonwealth countries.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the King’s “fantastic” work during his Australia tour and said he was looking forward to joining Mr Windsor at a summit in Samoa this week.

Downing Street said today that the PM remains opposed to any apology for Britain’s historical role in slavery and talks on reparations are “not on the agenda” for the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.