In a whirlwind tour that packed over 30 official engagements into just four days, King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s visit to Australia has cast a spotlight on the monarch’s fresh approach to royal duties. From selfies with schoolchildren to heartfelt hugs with members of the stolen generations, the king’s interactions with the public showcased a warmer, more tactile style compared to his predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II.
Yet the tour was not without controversy, as the thorny issue of Aboriginal sovereignty took center stage. Protests and direct confrontations, including Senator Lidia Thorpe’s shouts of “this is not your country” during a parliamentary event, underscored the deep-seated tensions that continue to simmer in the wake of Australia’s colonial past.
A Modern Monarchy
Royal commentator Juliet Rieden, author of The Royals in Australia, noted that the tour offered a glimpse into how Charles’s reign may differ from his mother’s. “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,” she said, adding that this relationship is “becoming meaningful.”
One poignant moment that exemplified this shift occurred when 71-year-old Uncle James Michael “Widdy” Welsh, a member of the stolen generations, told the king he was more of a hugger than a hand-shaker. The king responded warmly, “Hugs are good,” and the two embraced—an interaction that would have been unthinkable not long ago.
“There might be the odd polite handshake as [the Queen] walked down the line, but none of this deep interaction, listening to people’s stories, none of the touching,” Rieden observed.
Juliet Rieden, author of The Royals in Australia
The king also broke with tradition by posing for selfies with excited schoolchildren outside the Sydney Opera House, a move that signaled his willingness to engage with the public in a more relaxed, accessible manner. Politicians, too, were seen openly filming the king during his visit to the New South Wales parliament, a far cry from the days when phones would have been promptly tucked away at the sight of an approaching royal.
Navigating Complex Issues
However, amidst the warm welcomes and enthusiastic crowds, the specter of Australia’s fraught history with its Indigenous peoples loomed large. Activists seized the opportunity to confront the king directly, with Kooma Murri campaigner Wayne “Coco” Wharton attempting to deliver a “notice of complicity in Aboriginal Genocide” on two occasions.
Uncle Allan Murray of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council struck a more measured tone when he welcomed the king to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, saying, “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.”
These interactions highlighted the delicate balance the monarchy must strike as it seeks to modernize its image while grappling with the legacy of Britain’s imperial past. As calls for a republic continue to grow louder in Australia, the question remains whether Charles’s more engaged approach will be enough to stem the tide of change.
Looking Ahead
As the royal couple departed Australia for Samoa, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described their visit as “historic,” praising the king and queen for meeting “a range of extraordinary Australians who demonstrated the best of our great country.”
Yet the challenges that lie ahead for the monarchy in Australia are significant. With the republic debate gaining momentum and Indigenous voices demanding to be heard, the path forward is far from clear. As King Charles III embarks on this new chapter of his reign, he will need to continue to navigate these complex issues with sensitivity, empathy, and a willingness to listen to all Australians, regardless of their views on the monarchy’s future.
Only time will tell whether this “fast and furious” tour marked a turning point in the relationship between the crown and its Australian subjects, or merely a brief respite in the ongoing struggle to redefine Australia’s national identity in the 21st century.
One poignant moment that exemplified this shift occurred when 71-year-old Uncle James Michael “Widdy” Welsh, a member of the stolen generations, told the king he was more of a hugger than a hand-shaker. The king responded warmly, “Hugs are good,” and the two embraced—an interaction that would have been unthinkable not long ago.
“There might be the odd polite handshake as [the Queen] walked down the line, but none of this deep interaction, listening to people’s stories, none of the touching,” Rieden observed.
Juliet Rieden, author of The Royals in Australia
The king also broke with tradition by posing for selfies with excited schoolchildren outside the Sydney Opera House, a move that signaled his willingness to engage with the public in a more relaxed, accessible manner. Politicians, too, were seen openly filming the king during his visit to the New South Wales parliament, a far cry from the days when phones would have been promptly tucked away at the sight of an approaching royal.
Navigating Complex Issues
However, amidst the warm welcomes and enthusiastic crowds, the specter of Australia’s fraught history with its Indigenous peoples loomed large. Activists seized the opportunity to confront the king directly, with Kooma Murri campaigner Wayne “Coco” Wharton attempting to deliver a “notice of complicity in Aboriginal Genocide” on two occasions.
Uncle Allan Murray of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council struck a more measured tone when he welcomed the king to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, saying, “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.”
These interactions highlighted the delicate balance the monarchy must strike as it seeks to modernize its image while grappling with the legacy of Britain’s imperial past. As calls for a republic continue to grow louder in Australia, the question remains whether Charles’s more engaged approach will be enough to stem the tide of change.
Looking Ahead
As the royal couple departed Australia for Samoa, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described their visit as “historic,” praising the king and queen for meeting “a range of extraordinary Australians who demonstrated the best of our great country.”
Yet the challenges that lie ahead for the monarchy in Australia are significant. With the republic debate gaining momentum and Indigenous voices demanding to be heard, the path forward is far from clear. As King Charles III embarks on this new chapter of his reign, he will need to continue to navigate these complex issues with sensitivity, empathy, and a willingness to listen to all Australians, regardless of their views on the monarchy’s future.
Only time will tell whether this “fast and furious” tour marked a turning point in the relationship between the crown and its Australian subjects, or merely a brief respite in the ongoing struggle to redefine Australia’s national identity in the 21st century.
