During an exclusive interview, we reflect on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s recent whirlwind tour of Australia, which was marked by over 30 official events and significant moments of controversy. The royal couple’s four-day visit featured a diverse range of activities, from meeting churchgoers and bushfire scientists to engaging with a variety of artists and everyday Australians. However, the backdrop of Aboriginal sovereignty loomed large, as activists directly addressed issues of colonial legacy with the crown.
One poignant moment occurred when Senator Lidia Thorpe confronted the king at Parliament House, boldly declaring, “This is not your country.” This was echoed by protestors like Kooma Murri activist Wayne “Coco” Wharton, who made attempts to deliver a “notice of complicity in Aboriginal Genocide” to the king and faced arrest following his vocal critiques of Australia’s history.
Uncle Allan Murray of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council approached the King with a welcoming message at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, sharing a deep-rooted desire for sovereignty and recognition of Aboriginal stories. He noted, “We’ve got a long way to achieve what we want to achieve and that’s our own sovereignty.”
This marked not only King Charles III’s first visit to Australia as monarch but also his inaugural tour. His schedule was notably restricted due to ongoing health considerations, focusing primarily on Canberra and Sydney.
Upon their departure, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese characterized the royal visit as “historic,” spotlighting the remarkable Australians the couple encountered. Royal commentator Juliet Rieden added that although the visit was “fast and furious,” it provided insights into Charles’s evolving relationship with the public. She emphasized, “Everyone wondered how his reign would be different from the Queen’s… and I think we saw here that the way it’s going to be different is in his relationship with the public.”
The authenticity of these interactions was beautifully highlighted when Uncle James Michael “Widdy” Welsh, a member of the stolen generations, shared a warm hug with the King, who enthusiastically responded, “Hugs are good.” Rieden noted this type of personal engagement would have been much less common during the previous reign.
Further illustrating this shift, King Charles welcomed selfies with students outside the Sydney Opera House, a modern touch that would have previously been unthinkable in royal protocol. Politicians filming the king inside the New South Wales parliament also highlighted this transformation in royal interactions.
As the couple navigated through the crowds, individuals like Martin Sweeney from Melbourne and Wendy Soden from Brisbane expressed their excitement, with Sweeney remarking, “It’s the first visit to Australia by a king… even just a glimpse of the king would be enough.” Yet amidst the fanfare, playful moments like a sneezing alpaca and a dachshund wearing a crown stole some of the spotlight.
Queen Camilla, honoring her late mother-in-law, donned a memorable wattle brooch gifted by the Australian government during their arrival, an homage to the cultural ties that bind both nations. As they prepare for their next stop in Samoa, discussions about colonial history and potential reparations linger, reminding all that the effects of colonialism remain a fresh topic of conversation.
