King Charles Told by Indigenous Leader He Is ‘Welcome’ in Australia After Facing Shouts of 'You Are Not Our King'

Mar. 15, 2025

King Charlesreceived a welcome from indigenous leaders in Sydney amid an ongoing protest over sovereignty.

Charles’ visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) came a day after hefaced shoutsof “You are not my King, this is not your land" from a senator at Parliament House in Canberra.

The King’s appointment with the elders of the community in Sydney was always scheduled to take place on Oct. 22. But it meant that there was a timely moment for Uncle Allan Murray, a leader of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, to greet the King, 75, on “Gadigal land,” saying, “Welcome to Country,” while also putting the wider point across.

“We’ve got stories to tell and I think you witnessed that story yesterday in Canberra but the story is unwavering and we’ve got a long way to achieve what we want to achieve and that’s our own sovereignty,” he told Charles, according to U.K. newspaperThe Telegraph.

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty

“We are proud, sovereign people, and we continue to walk on this great land," he added.

The King nodded and listened, reports said. Uncle Allan — the respectful formal title for elder men —said after the conversation: “We always long for a return of our sovereignty. We are a sovereign people, we have never signed a formal agreement or treaty. The [British flag] was put on our land without our consent,”The Telegraphreported. “We’ve been ignored. We can’t rest on our laurels.”

King Charles takes part in a traditional smoking ceremony in Sydney on Oct. 22, 2024.Lisa Maree Williams/Getty

As she was being escorted out of the Great Hall of Parliament House, Thorpe kept calling out, “This is not your land, This is not your land. You are not my King, you are not our King.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla cook sausages for the food stalls at the Premier’s Community Barbecue at Parramatta Park on Oct. 22, 2024.Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

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Charles' outing to the indigenous center was the first visit on a busy day for him andQueen Camillaon their last full day in Australia. Charles — who has beenundergoing treatment for cancersince February —met some melanoma experts.

source: people.com