Heir come the hecklers! Awkward moments royals were confronted by the public – including woman who told Kate in Belfast: ‘Ireland belongs to the Irish’

The Royal Family are more than accustomed to the usual formalities of smiling, waving and shaking hands at public events.

But occasionally their pleasantries are met with protest, as King Charles found out on his recent tour of Australia.

The Monarch was heckled in the Australian Parliament by Aboriginal Senator Lidia Thorpe. 

She shouted that Charles had ‘committed genocide against our people,’ while he and Queen Camilla were in attendance for a reception in Canberra.

This isn’t the first time members of the Royal Family have been given an earful during engagements – Princess Kate, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew have all experienced it too. 

Read on for MailOnline’s summary of some of the most awkward heckling moments the royals have suffered over the years.

King Charles in Wales

Despite opinion polls over the years consistently showing the majority of people in Wales support having a prince, Charles was confronted with protesters during his visit in 2022.

As the Monarch worked his way along the crowd of people waiting to greet him, he experienced his first bout of negativity since becoming King.

One man leant forward and shouted: ‘Charles! While we struggle to heat our homes, we have to pay for your parade.’

To which Charles seemed to respond with: ‘Oh.’

The dissenter added: ‘The taxpayer pays £100million for you, what for?’

But the negativity was soon drowned out by a wave of vocal support for Charles as the crowd chanted in unison: ‘God save the King, God save the King!’

As the Monarch worked his way along the crowd of people waiting to greet him, he experienced his first bout of negativity since becoming King. 

One man leant forward and shouted: ‘Charles! While we struggle to heat our homes, we have to pay for your parade’

Princess Kate in Northern Ireland

The Princess of Wales was also confronted by a member of the public, who turned out to be an Irish nationalist, while on an impromptu walkabout in north Belfast in 2022.

As she shook Kate’s hand, the dissenter said: ‘Nice to meet you but it would be better if it was when you were in your own country.’

The woman, who was wearing an emerald green cardigan, appeared to be recording footage of the exchange on her phone.

She added: ‘Ireland belongs to the Irish.’ 

A stunned Kate, who managed to keep her composure throughout the exchange, laughed and let go of her hand before continuing to smile and greet other members of the crowd.

An Irish nationalist confronting Kate during a walkabout in north Belfast in 2022

Kate’s visit to a Foundling Museum

Kate was subjected to another protester last year when she visited the Foundling Museum in London.

As the princess arrived at the museum, a woman stepped out into the road holding a sign which read: ‘Monarchy is child abuse.’

Speaking to a camera, the activist explained her views and said: ‘Everyone is equal, everyone is born equal and everyone remains equal throughout their life. 

‘No one is more valuable or important than anyone else.’

She added: ‘Monarchy is a perversion of that system. Monarchy says that some people are more important than others and I think that is abusive to children to tell them that they are permanently and inherently inferior to somebody else, whether that’s their older sibling, or whether that’s a family they’ve never met and will never meet.’

A police officer rushed to the protester outside the Foundling Museum ahead of Kate’s visit last year

Kate, wearing a blush pink suit, visiting the Foundling Museum in London last May 

Prince Andrew heckled behind the Queen’s coffin 

As the late Queen’s coffin was driven through Edinburgh with her children walking behind, Prince Andrew was given an earful by a member of the public.

A young man was filmed as he called out: ‘Andrew, you’re a sick old man!’

The Duke of York continued to walk behind his mother’s hearse along with Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Edward.

Moments later, footage shows the heckler being shoved to the ground by mourners as others in the crowd continued to shout ‘God Save the King’.

He was then dragged away as he yelled, ‘disgusting’ and ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.

A man heckles at Prince Andrew as he walked behind the late Queen’s coffin in Edinburgh in 2022

Meghan Markle in Colombia

Meghan participated in the Afro Women and Power conference in Cali, Colombia, on the final day of her quasi-royal tour with Prince Harry earlier this year.

However, before she delivered her speech in Spanish, a heckler piped up and interrupted fellow panellist Francia Marquez – Colombia’s first Black vice-president.

The activist shouted a question about trans-rights at Ms Marquez, who calmly responded: ‘I’m talking about women in general. We’ve got a programme for trans women as well.’

The riled-up audience member said no more and sat down. She was allowed to stay in her seat for the rest of the event.

As the incident unfolded, Meghan, 43, looked out into the crowd and laughed to herself, before turning back towards the vice-president to nod with approval.

Meghan Markle participated in the Afro Women and Power conference in Cali, Colombia, earlier this year

Charles and Jon Snow share a joke

During a reception at Buckingham Palace to honour the UK’s contribution to humanitarian efforts last year, veteran news presenter Jon Snow cracked a joke at the King.

In what wasn’t a heckle, but a playful quip, Jon shook Charles’s hand and said: ‘I’m so thrilled one of us has become King!’

Charles chuckled and Jon added: ‘Is one allowed to say that?’

To which the King replied: ‘Of course you can’. 

Jon Snow joking around with Charles during a reception at Buckingham Palace last year 

Prince William visiting Grenfell

Prince William and the late Queen made a visit to a site near the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017.

As the prince was leaving, a desperate man cried out for the return of children who had gone missing in the disaster.

He shouted: ‘What about the children?’

William responded by holding his hand up in a calm and compassionate manner and told the man not to worry, reassuring him that he would come back.

Prince William speaks to the public near the site of Grenfell Tower in 2017