Sneeze Fit for a King: Down Under Alpaca Camel Dressed to Impress Surprises Charles III With Sudden 'Achoo'
King Charles was damply greeted by an alpaca camel royal fan while touring Australia.
King Charles was greeted by an alpaca dressed to the royal nines on His Majesty's tour of Australia, but the four-legged royal fan decided to greet its King in a different way — by sneezing on him.
The 9-year-old alpaca named Hephner stole the show with his dapper look, sporting a suit, bow tie and a gold crown adorning his fluffy white fur.
Hephner, whose name playfully nods to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, patiently stood beside his owner, Robert Fletcher, for hours, eagerly awaiting a chance to greet the royal couple during their brief visit to Australia’s capital, Canberra.
"It's a meeting of kings," Fletcher told an outlet.
During a 30-minute walk to greet well-wishers, the King and Queen Camilla paused when His Majesty spotted Hephner. As Charles III reached out to pat him, Hephner let out an unexpected sneeze, surprising both the King and the crowd. The monarch quickly pulled back, laughing off the sudden outburst.
"At least he didn’t spit," Fletcher joked.
This was followed by Indigenous Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe, an Independent, "aggressively" shouting down the monarch within Australia's Parliament chamber on Monday, October 21. His Majesty had just finished addressing his Aussie Parliament for the first time as monarch when, from the back of the room, Thorpe shouted, "You are not my King. Give us our land back, give us what you stole!"
The King, who is Australia's head of state and monarch, had just finished saying, "Throughout my life, Australia’s First Nations people have done me the great honor of sharing so generously their stories and cultures. I can only say how much my own experience has been shaped and strengthened by such traditional wisdom."
Apart from this pushback, "thousands upon thousands" of Australians were reported to have come out to catch a glimpse of their King and Queen.
The official website of the British monarchy shared, "Their Majesties were welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as receiving a special tribute as the iconic Sydney Opera House was lit up in their honor."
The statement further added, "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. In both countries, Their Majesties’ engagements will focus on themes designed to celebrate the best of Australia and Samoa, as well as reflecting aspects of The King and Queen’s work."
The iconic Sydney Opera House overlooking Sydney Harbor was lit up to show an image of the King and Queen as the pair met with Aussie leaders and dignitaries. It is said His Majesty will "rest" on Saturday, October 19, before kicking off the visit the following day.
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People reported on Hephner's sneeze.
