The Victorian senator, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman, was heard shouting “give us our land back”, “not your land” and “you are not my king. You are not our king”.
She also called for the king to “give us a treaty”, and was heard saying “f— the colony”.
She was escorted out of the room by security.
Thorpe later said she had been trying to hand a “notice of complicity in the genocide of the First Peoples” to Charles.
“Krauatungalung Elder Uncle Robbie Thorpe issued this notice to the International Criminal Court on October 13 this year, requesting King Charles be charged and prosecuted for genocide,” she said.
“The visit by the so-called King should be an occasion of truth-telling about the true history of this country.
“The colonial state has been built on the continuing genocide on First Peoples.
“Today I was silenced and removed from the parliamentary reception when pointing out that the Crown stole from First Peoples.”
She also said police officers had threatened to arrest her for wearing a shirt emblazoned with ”stolen land, stolen lives, stolen wealth”.
Earlier, Thorpe had called for Australia to become a republic on the back of a treaty with Indigenous peoples.
“There’s unfinished business that we need to resolve before this country can become a republic. This must happen through treaty,” she said.
“We can move towards a treaty republic now. The two processes are not opposed, they’re complimentary.
“As First Peoples, we never ceded our sovereignty over this land. The Crown invaded this country, has not sought treaty with First Peoples, and committed a genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate sovereign of these lands.
“Any move towards a republic must not continue this injustice. Treaty must play a central role in establishing an independent nation.”
Thorpe had been pictured turning her back while waiting for the monarch when God Save The King was played at Parliament House, and appeared to be involved in a scuffle with a police officer outside the Australian War Memorial during Charles’ visit.
ACT Policing said they had directed a protest group near the Memorial to move on, and the order was complied with without any arrests.
Another woman was charged for allegedly failing to comply with a different police direction at the War Memorial, one of several arrests made by officers.
While the King appeared unperturbed by the outburst after his speech, others were quick to criticise it.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott, a stout monarchist, called Thorpe’s display ”unfortunate political exhibitionism”, while Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne said he was “absolutely amazed that she got through the door”.
King and Queen visit Canberra as crowds hope to catch a glimpse
Businessman Dick Smith, who has known Charles for decades, was far more accepting of the protest.
“I think that’s the wonderful part of our democracy – that she’s not going to be put in jail,” he said.
Thorpe’s anti-colonial and anti-monarchical views have been well-known for some time.
She made global headlines in 2022 after the last federal election when she tried to change her oath of allegiance while being sworn into the Senate.
“I sovereign, Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonising Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” she said with her fist raised in the air.
“Colonising” is not in the formal oath, and she was required to recite the exact words provided to her.
Busy day in nation’s capital
Charles and Camilla had only landed in Canberra a few hours earlier, first heading to the Australian War Memorial, where they both laid a wreath and the King added a poppy to the Royal of Honour.
They spent some time greeting the large crowd before heading to Parliament House, where they were met by Governor-General Samantha Mostyn and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
In his speech to the Great Hall, Charles spoke about his years as a teenager in Australia, praised the nation’s resilience despite frequent natural disasters, and called for action to adopt renewable energy and address climate change.
“The regular roll of unprecedented events is an unmistaken sign of climate change, to which Australia is so particularly vulnerable,” he said.
“Australia has all of the natural ingredients to create a more sustainable regenerative way of living,” he added.
“By harnessing the power with which nature has endowed the nation, whether it be wind or its famous sunshine, Australia is tracking the path towards a better and safer future.”
After the reception, the King participated in a tree-planting ceremony at Government House before visiting the CSIRO, while Camilla met with anti-domestic violence activists to hear about the work being done to combat the epidemic in Australia.