King Charles’ royal Australian tour LIVE updates: Wild moment Lidia Thorpe clashes with police as royal couple land in Canberra – as a Greens leader launches shocking tirade

Senator Lidia Thorpe was embroiled in an altercation with a police officer amid a protest against the arrival of the King and Queen.

A small group of protesters outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra were told to move on by police.

Ms Thorpe, who is understood to have been part of the protest, was seen arguing with a police officer who held onto her shirt.

Ms Thorpe then pulled her shirt off and stormed away from the officer.

‘Everything that we suffer in this country is because of that colonial invasion,’ she said after the tussle.

Ms Thorpe has been vocal about her feelings towards the monarchy, and last year co-signed a letter urging King Charles to apologise for the effect of colonisation.

She along with representatives from 11 other countries signed the letter ahead of Charles’ Coronation.

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi vowed to snub King Charles and Queen Camilla saying she would sit out of the parliamentary reception on Monday.

‘The monarchy symbolises an era that should be left behind for good, not celebrated,’ she said.

‘It will come as no surprise that I will not be participating in any pomp and ceremony celebrating the monarchy, but I’d be happy to go to the airport to wish them a final goodbye in the hope that this is the last time the crown visits this country as rulers.

‘Preserving the British monarchy is to preserve white supremacy and the systemic racist structures that were built by the Empire and persist today.’

Ms Faruqi is among several Australians unhappy with the visit from the royal couple.

Local republicans argue it is time to farewell the monarchy, and Indigenous rights groups lament it as a reminder of Australia’s dark colonial past.

Placard-brandishing protesters gathered and royalists faced off near St Thomas’ Church in North Sydney ahead of the service attended by the King and Queen on Sunday.

Pro-Palestine protesters and Indigenous rights activists unfurled Banners reading ‘decolonise’ and ’empire built on genocide’.

There were also chants of ‘Always Was, Always Will be, Aboriginal Land’.

In response to a request to meet from the Australian Republican Movement earlier this year, the King said the decision to become a republic rested with the Australian people.

It has been 25 years since Australia last held a vote on becoming a republic.

The popular host questioned on his KIIS FM radio show on Monday why the royal couple were being around in a mid-sized car.

‘Can I ask why are the King and Queen are being driven around Australia in an Audi hatchback? Like what the hell is going on there,’ he said.

‘The King is usually In this custom made Bentley and we’ve squeezed him in an Audi hatchback.’

His co-host Jackie O Henderson then said: ‘I have the answer. It says Charles prefers Audi due to their commitment to safety and reliability.’

An alpaca, named Hephner, was among the hundreds of fans waiting to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla during their visit to Canberra on Monday.

Hephner was dressed up for the formal occasion and wore a gold crown, blue velvet suit and bow tie.

Robert Fletcher, who owns the animal, insisted Hephner is a monarchist deep at heart.

‘We just thought, what an opportunity to dress him up as royalty and bring him today,’ he said.

A 62-year-old man was arrested outside the Australian War Memorial on Monday for allegedly failing to comply with a police direction.

The man was a member of a small group of demonstrators who gathered to protest the arrival of the Royals.

He is expected to be charged later.

About two dozen protesters gathered and were heard chanting ‘always was, always will be Aboriginal land’ and the ‘The King is a murderous pig’.

The group also carried signs reading ‘Decolonise’ and ‘No King, No Empire, No AUKUS’ referencing Australia’s defence deal with the UK.

The pair were greeted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

They stood for a minute of silence after laying wreaths at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Charles and Camilla will place a poppy at the roll of honour before speaking with members of the public waiting outside.

A sniper from Australia’s security forces was seen on top of a building at the memorial.

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived to loud fanfare in Canberra on Monday – however it was a kiss offered to His Majesty that stood out.

The King went to greet Ngunnawal Elder Serena Williams when she offered European-style kisses on both cheeks.

Ardent royalist Joshua Ladhams, 16, of Brisbane travelled down especially to see the King and Queen, and bought blue flowers particularly for Camilla.

‘Well they’re purple really but hopefully she’ll see them and come over,’ the schoolboy said as he hung over the barrier in the Parliament House forecourt.

Joshua said he believed Charles and Camilla had done ‘a lot for the royal family and they’ve stood the test of time’.

Lynton Martin, from Melbourne, has travelled far and wide to get a glimpse of the King.

Mr Martin was lucky enough to meet King Charles on Sunday during his visit to a church in North Sydney, and is hoping he’ll get another chance to chat with the monarch in Canberra on Monday.

‘Hopefully I get to see him again,’ he told the ABC.

‘It’s a great opportunity to welcome the King to Australia and make sure he feels very much at home.’

Mr Martin isn’t hard to spot, donning a Union Jack-themed suit with a matching bow-tie and crown.

He made the journey up from Melbourne to Sydney for the visit and made sure to stop by the nation’s capital on his way home.

Mr Martin also travelled to the UK for the King’s Coronation last year, and credits his love for the royals to his grandmother who was ‘very fond’ of the Queen.

Thousands of Aussies have turned out to catch a glimpse of the King and Queen during their royal visit to Canberra on Monday.

One man even bizarrely brought his pet llama, dressed in a tuxedo and gold crown, with him for the royal occasion.

A heavy police presence was also seen at Parliament House early on Monday.

Excitement is building at the Parliament House forecourt where soldiers from the Australian Army are setting up cannons to fire for the official welcome of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Six cannons have been towed in by truck and are being set up on Parliament’s front lawn.

As the queue of excited onlookers snaked down the road, one family had made an extra effort to greet the King and Queen.

Claire Liistro and her three children drove overnight from Victoria’s Yarra Valley, bringing crowns bought from Big W.

Ms Liistro said she believed Charles and Camilla ‘have stepped up to their roles’.

‘I’d have queued for a week if it had been the Queen (Elizabeth) but yeah, Charlie is doing okay,’ she said.

‘I just love everything royal.’

Asked what he would say to the royal couple if they approached him, Ms Liistro’s son Dillon said he would ask for the ‘real crown jewels’ and tell the King to ‘avoid the crocs’.

Ms Liistro said her family had even made a massive cardboard cut-out of the King to put next to the TV while watching the Coronation.

Pictured is Claire Liistro with her children Dillon, Sienna and Aidan. Dillon holds a photo of his grandfather Michael, who did not make the trip, saying ‘g’day’ to the King.

King Charles was spotted leaving Admiralty House at Kirribilli, on Sydney’s lower north shore, on Monday morning.

The monarch waved to passersby from the back of the vehicle while Queen Camilla sat in the front.

King Charles was wearing a blue suit and appeared to be in high spirits.

King Charles III spent only 10 minutes at a lunch held in his honour on Sunday before leaving.

He delivered a speech at NSW’s Parliament House where he gifted an hourglass.

His Majesty only briefly stayed at the lunch that was held aftewards.

The menu comprised of chargrilled asparagus and olive dust, marinated octopus and squid ink wafer, barramundi and duck confit.

King Charles is currently being treated for cancer – which has led to the scaling down of his itinerary while he is visiting Australia.

The 75-year-old has previously visited the country 16 times – and will only be travelling around NSW and Canberra during his visit.

King Charles was given a very Australian gift while visiting St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney on Sunday morning.

Bondi Smokehouse owner Christian Gilles was among the hundreds of fans who had turned up to greet His Majesty and Queen Camilla.

Mr Gilles offered King Charles a packet of kangaroo jerky – a gift the monarch happily accepted.

Footage captured the heartwarming interaction.

‘That’s for you and your wife,’ Mr Gilles told the King.

‘Oh kangaroo, that’s very nice,’ King Charles replied.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will be greeting crowds from 12.35pm at Canberra’s Australian War Memorial.

Those wishing to see Their Majesties are urged to arrive no later than 11.45am for security screening and to avoid road closures.

Visitors will have another chance to see the King and Queen later at Parliament House.

Royal fans should arrive no later than 12.10pm.

A small group of anti-monarchy protesters had gathered outside the St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney on Sunday morning for the Royal visit.

They gathered under a large ‘decolonise’ banner around 100 metres away but they failed to spoil the joyful mood.

The protesters used a megaphone to shout their support for indigenous rights and waved Palestinian and Lebanon flags.

A handful of locals shouted ‘get lost’ and ‘get a life’ in frustration as they walked past, while one man told them: ‘Be thankful you live in a free society where you can argue across the street.’

Fans waiting inside the church grounds to shake hands with the King and Queen described the ongoing republican debate as a ‘bore’.

After the King and Queen arrived, the protestors were drowned out by shouts of ‘hip hip hooray’ and blocked from sight by hundreds of camera phones held aloft.

The King and Queen were warmly welcomed in Sydney on their visit to St Thomas’ Anglican Church on Sunday.

Handed armfuls of flowers, toy koalas and even some kangaroo jerky, the couple were repeatedly thanked for making the long journey over, particularly in light of His Majesty’s on-going cancer treatment.

Fans waiting inside the church grounds – including dozens of Sunday school children – were thrilled to shake hands with the King and Queen, while others described the ongoing republican debate as a ‘bore’.

Afterwards one child delightedly shouted ‘I touched the King!’. ‘It was so good, he was so kind,’ said another little girl.

Stepping outside the church to loud cheers from the hundreds gathered on the lawn opposite the church, the King waved before walking over to speak to members of the public.

Some well-wishers said they had begun queuing at 5am to get a prime spot to see the couple, with others in the crowd flying in from other parts of Australia especially.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will spend just one day in the nation’s capital on Monday where they are expected to be greeted by thousands of fans.

During their time in Canberra, the Royals will visit the Australian War Memorial where they will lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier where The Last Post will be played before a minute of silence.

The pair will separate to attend different events but will both take a stroll through the National Botanic Gardens later on Monday afternoon.

King Charles is expected to give a speech at 1pm before he will be able to meet those who gathered to see the Royal visit.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also hold a reception for Charles and Camilla inside the Great Hall at Parliament House.

Charles will visit the CSIRO National Bushfire Research Centre to meet with firefighters and scientists.

The Queen will meanwhile partake in a roundtable on the issue of domestic violence.

Charles and Camilla have official engagements in Sydney on Tuesday before returning to the UK.