Royal Responsibilities: King Charles III’s Australian Adventure and the Talk of the Town
Well, well, well! King Charles III is back in the land down under, and it’s not just for the BBQs and koala cuddles! On his last day in Australia, the King took a pit stop to meet with Aboriginal leaders in Sydney—who I assume had either been waiting for him to show up or were just working on their dance moves. Who knows, maybe they even had some ‘Crocodile Dundee’ vibes going on.
This meeting comes hot on the heels of some juicy criticism from Senator Lidia Thorpe, who practically threw down the gauntlet, asking for the monarch to ‘return the lands’ to the native people. Now, that’s a royal request if I’ve ever heard one! Imagine Charlie trying to fit a continent into his suitcase while packing up his crown jewels!
The National Indigenous Center of Excellence, the venue for this royal rendezvous, seeks to improve the conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Unfortunately, all that nobility of purpose was laced with protests and drama! Thorpe didn’t hold back, stating that the King was, let’s say, a bit overly attached to his real estate (the land that was controversially appropriated, of course!). She accused him of complicity in a history that includes about 20,000 Indigenous deaths and around 400 massacres. Talk about a royal scandal worthy of Netflix!
Now, I’m not saying the monarchy should swoop in like some benevolent superheroes to right all the historical wrongs, but come on! When a senator calls out the head of state right after a speech in Parliament, you know you’ve caused a bit of a ruckus!
During a lively interview on Radio National, Thorpe didn’t mince her words. She pointed out that only those who sit comfortably within the system want to listen to pretty platitudes. Didn’t we just have a conversation about the value of being uncomfortable? Maybe throwing in a royal apology might turn some heads and, dare I say, help facilitate a proper treaty. That’s like asking for a golden scepter while being handed a damp napkin!
In wrapping up this royal escapade, the King’s time with the Indigenous leaders, complete with a smoking ceremony and traditional dancing, was certainly an attempt to bridge gaps that have existed for centuries. But whether it was just a shiny band-aid on an old wound remains to be seen. Maybe in the next episode of “Royal Meetups,” we’ll see an actual treaty drafted and lands returned! Now that would be a plot twist worthy of the tabloids!
As it stands, with the King remaining Australia’s head of state, the pressure is certainly on. Can he turn this royal visit into meaningful action? Or will this just be another footnote in the history books—like a missed opportunity to take a selfie with Hugh Jackman?
Stay tuned, folks! Because what happens next might just make history—or at the very least, another headline.
King Charles III met with Aboriginal leaders in Sydney on his last day in Australia. The meeting was organized after the harsh criticism and controversy expressed by a senator who asked the monarch to ‘return the lands’ to the natives. Charles III, who remains Australia’s head of state, visited the National Indigenous Center of Excellence, an organization that works to improve the living conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Melanesian origin. Once he arrived at the site, located in the suburb of Redfern, near the center of Sydney, Carlo was welcomed with a smoking ceremony and traditional dancing. Today’s visit was marked by new protests over whether or not to involve Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe, who yesterday rebuked the king, at the end of a speech by the monarch in Parliament in Canberra, for not having returned the lands ” stolen” from indigenous Australians. Thorpe also made statements accusing Charles III of complicity in the genocide of indigenous Australians, estimated at 20,000 deaths and around 400 massacres, which occurred from colonization until the early 20th century. During an interview with the public broadcaster, Radio National, Thorpe did not take any steps back: “The only people who want to listen are those who conform and speak well, but do nothing to obtain justice for our people”, he added, insisting that the sovereign should apologize to the indigenous people and use his leadership to push for the formulation of a treaty and for the restitution of the stolen territories. (AGI)
