A day after being yelled at by indigenous independent senator Lidia Thorpe in the national parliament, King Charles has been embraced by a survivor of Australia’s Stolen Generation who were taken from their parents and placed in children’s homes.
His Majesty arrived at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern to a mixture of anger and adulation.
Outside, protestors chanted “you’re on stolen land” and “no pride in genocide”, while inside, officials including National Indigenous Australians Agency chief executive Jody Broun and Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council chair Allan Murray welcomed the King before he was greeted with a smoking ceremony.
“Welcome to Gadigal land. We’ve got stories to tell and I think you witnessed that story yesterday,” Mr. Murray told the King, referring to his encounter with Senator Thorpe.
The monarch warmly embraced Uncle James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh who revealed: “I told him I was one of the so-called Stolen Generation and he put his hand out to shake my hand. I said to him I’m not much of a hand shaker, I’m more of a hugger or cuddler.”
“He said hugs are good so I went in for the hug and he gave me one back. That’s my way of making a sense of feeling between people. Shaking hands is not a good way to understand people. A hug is a way of connecting with someone’s aura.”
“He made me feel comfortable. It was really good. It was a welcome hug. I had a really good feeling about him. I got the feeling he is somebody who genuinely cares,” Mr. Welsh observed.
Elsewhere, Queen Camilla re-visited the Refettorio OzHarvest, the largest food-rescue operation in Australia, and sat down with regular patrons who came for a free vegetarian lunch made from foods spared from the bin. She had previously checked out the charity in 2015.
The Queen also met passionate young readers and leading authors, including Thomas Keneally, at the Green Square Library to celebrate and promote the role of writing and literacy for young Australians.
The royal couple then attended a community barbecue lunch at Parramatta. “It is no wonder that Sydney is world famous for its cuisine, whether it’s smashed avo, a pav or a cab sav,” the King said in a brief speech before taking a turn on the tongs and accepting a gift of a framed Aussie lifesaver’s cap.
King Charles had a more sombre meeting with Police Inspector Amy Scott, the hero of the Bondi stabbings in April, who told him about the terrifying ordeal that ended when she shot dead the attacker.
His Majesty also visited the Melanoma Institute where he met Australians of the Year, Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer.
An estimated 10,000 people lined the streets and packed into the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House where many had waited for hours in the sun in the hope of catching a glimpse of the royals and perhaps a brief chat.
English actress Joanna Lumley, of Absolutely Fabulous fame, was among a group of selected VIPs, who were first to greet the King and Queen as they walked up the steps, waving to the thousands below and posing for photos with the Harbour Bridge in the background.
After meeting scores of their fans, the royal couple reviewed the Navy fleet and returned to Admiralty House, completing the formalities of their whirlwind Australian visit and preparing to head for the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in the morning.
With Australian Associated Press and pool reporters.
Photo: Facebook — Australian Government (King Charles embraces Stolen Generation survivor Uncle James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh)
