A famous statue of Queen Victoria in Sydney’s city centre has been vandalised with red paint, just hours before King Charles and Queen Camilla were due to tour the city.

The Royal couple are scheduled to meet the public outside the Sydney Opera House, not far from the defaced statue.

Police have cordoned off the area around the statue, located outside the Queen Victoria Building in the central business district, following the incident.

This comes just a day after a verbal attack on the King and Queen by Aboriginal Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe at Parliament House in Canberra.

Despite the unpleasant incidents, the Royal couple have pledged to continue their Australian visit “undeterred”. The scenes have drawn widespread condemnation across the political landscape.

Senator Thorpe, dressed in indigenous attire and waving a document, stormed the stage in front of stunned MPs and guests, shouting “You are not my King”. As security rushed to escort her out, she yelled: “You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back, give us back what you stole from us. Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. “You destroyed our lands, give us a treaty, we want a treaty in the country, you are a genocidalist. [sic]”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a known republican, labelled Senator Thorpe’s actions as “disrespectful” and below the expected standard for MPs.

On Tuesday, the Royal couple will pay a visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney, an event that was scheduled months prior for their final full day in Australia.

Sources close to the Palace revealed that the King and Queen have thoroughly enjoyed their time in Australia, where the monarch took a break from his cancer treatment to make the trip. Aunty Violet Sheridan, a respected Ngunnawal Elder who formally welcomed Charles and Camilla to her ancestral lands at Parliament House, expressed her disappointment with the senator’s actions. She stated, “We are all so disappointed by it. To have that in the Great Hall – disgusting.

“I am so upset about her. He has waited so long to be king, he has rehearsed for it all his life.

“He is our king, our sovereign and he has got cancer.”

A Palace source said: “The King and Queen have been deeply touched by seeing and hearing from the very many thousands of people who have turned up in Sydney and Canberra to see them.

“The warmth and scale of the reception was truly awesome.”

New South Wales Police said: “About 5.30am today (Tuesday, October 22, 2024), police were called to Queen Victoria Building, Market Street, Sydney CBD, following reports a statue had been vandalised.

“Officers attached to Sydney City Police Area Command have established a crime scene and an investigation has commenced. As inquiries continue, anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”