Royal House of 'Woke': King Charles III's Monarchy Accused of 'Prioritizing Political Correctness' During Aussie 'Walkabout' Controversy
King Charles III and Queen Camilla will tour Australia in October 2024, and controversy has erupted over the use of the 'old royal word walkabout' during trip.
Sensitivity for Indigenous Aboriginal Australians has become the biggest headline in King Charles III and Queen Camilla's recently announced down under tour in October.
This led commentator Anna McGovern to tell GBN's Patrick Christys that the British royal family has "gone woke."
Within the nation, the royal term, "walkabout," was coined in 1970 during the late Queen Elizabeth II's tour of Australia and New Zealand. On this trip, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign, along with Prince Philip, then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne, broke with long-standing royal tradition by engaging directly with the public in a more informal and spontaneous way.
However, the word originates within Aboriginal Australian culture and specifically refers to a traditional rite of passage practiced by young Aboriginal men.
In defense of the royal use of the word, McGovern shared, "I think this is a trend that we're seeing where we're rejecting tradition and something that has been part of our culture for decades now."
She added, "This is something that has been a big part of the tradition, a big part of our history, and I just think it definitely represents the trend that we're seeing and the direction we're going where we're prioritizing political correctness and not wanting to upset people. And I just think it's absolutely woke ridiculousness."
Additional panelist and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams replied, "It's absolutely essential in my view that the sensitivities in different countries are observed. If you look, for example, the last time William and Catherine sadly went abroad, was in March 2022 to the Caribbean. It wasn't successful because of the issues, although I think it was wrong, and they were hypersensitive, particularly with demands for reparations."
He added: "You look at the Commonwealth, the 56 countries now, I think that's an enormously important institution and we benefit in all sorts of ways as to the other countries or members of it."
Christys dived in and stated, "He spends half his life apologizing for stuff they had nothing to do with."
Instead of "walkabout," the royal program for the anticipated tour, the first of the monarch's reign to one of his Commonwealth realms, states that the terminology will now be, "an opportunity to meet the public" instead.
The trip will also take in Samoa, which is hosting this year's annual CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting).
The Buckingham Palace Press Office shared in a statement, "The King's visit to Australia will be His Majesty’s first to a realm as monarch, whilst the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa is the first the King will attend as Head of the Commonwealth."
"The King, who has this year been receiving treatment for cancer, will meet Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer and will hear about the work to help those affected by melanoma," the press release added.
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