Keir Starmer hails ‘fantastic’ work of ‘incredible’ King Charles amid Aussie heckling row
SIR Keir Starmer today hailed the “fantastic work” of King Charles after the Monarch was heckled by an Aussie politician.
Hard-left senator Lidia Thorpe, who was once "banned" from a Melbourne strip club, sparked fury as she yelled at the King while he was delivering a landmark speech in Australia’s Parliament House.
Charles was given a 20-second standing ovation for his address and was taking his seat when Thorpe yelled out "You are not our King" and "You destroyed our land".
As security stood in the way to prevent her from getting near the King who was sitting beside Camilla just 30 feet away, she called out to him: "This is not your land, you are not our King."
The monarch brushed off the awkward encounter and continued to smile as Thorpe was embarrassingly walked out by security.
Responding to the incident, the PM called Charles an “incredible ambassador” and praised his ongoing engagements across the Commonwealth while battling cancer.
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He told The Sun: “The King is doing a fantastic job.
“He is an incredible ambassador not just for our country, but across the Commonwealth.
“And we should remember in the context of health that he is out there doing his public service, notwithstanding the health challenges he himself has had.”
Doubling down on her stunt, Thorpe told Times Radio the Royal Family should “own up” and “sign a treaty saying "they have benefited from the killings of indigenous peoples".
She later re-posted a cartoon of the King on her Instagram, which was created by Matt Chun, co-editor of anti-imperialist publication The Sunday Paper.
Thorpe was tagged in the caricature showing a beheaded Charles with a crown lying next to him.
It reads: "You are not our King. You are not our sovereign."
Senator Thorpe, 51, is an Aboriginal Australian independent politician and has been a senator for Victoria since 2000.
Senator Thorpe 'banned' from strip club
The senator who yelled at the King was once banned for life from a Melbourne strip club for shouting profanities at a group of men.
Thorpe was filmed outside Maxine’s Gentleman’s Club, telling one he is a “marked” man.
The senator said in a statement that the men singled her out and provoked her, taking issue with her stance on Indigenous affairs.
Maxine’s general manager, David Ross, wrote to Thorpe’s office to issue a life ban from the premises.
He said the senator had spent a few hours in the venue with a small group of friends, who were there for a 50th birthday party.
Staff at the club claimed Thorpe approached a number of men and told them they had “stolen her land”.
Rosa said: “We can’t have that sort of thing here, because we do pride ourselves on being harmonious melting pot of the local community.”
In a letter sent to Thorpe’s office on Monday, Ross said that after reviewing security footage and speaking to staff, the senator was “no longer welcome” at the club.