The King and Queen will return to Sydney after an at-times fiery visit to the nation’s capital as the royal tour wraps up.

The royals will greet crowds outside the city’s iconic Opera House on Tuesday afternoon, with a community barbecue to follow.

The King, appointed honorary defence force ranks earlier in the visit, will review the naval fleet with five ships anchored in Sydney Harbour.

There will also be a flyover by Australian Defence Force aircraft.

Before then, co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia and joint Australians of the Year Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer will have a chance to detail their world-leading research.

On a busy day of engagements in the harbour city, the King will meet Indigenous representatives to learn about culture and community.

‘Not our king’: Thorpe

The scheduled meeting comes after Senator Lidia Thorpe made headlines around the world and divided opinion when she interrupted a reception in Canberra on Monday in protest against the monarchy.

“You are not our king. You are not sovereign,” the Indigenous senator for Victoria said.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” she said before being removed.

“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want treaty.”

The King spoke quietly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as they sat on the podium while security officials halted Thorpe’s march to the stage and escorted her out of the Great Hall.

Senator Thorpe heckles the King during the reception at Parliament House. Photo: Getty

Thorpe’s actions have divided opinion within the Indigenous community.

Later, Thorpe apologised for a picture of a beheaded King that one of her staff posted to her Instagram page.

The cartoon had been shared by Matt Chun, co-editor of The Sunday Paper, an “anti-imperialist” publication.

“Earlier tonight, without my knowledge, one of my staff shared an image to my Instagram stories created by another account,” Thorpe posted on X.

“I deleted it as soon as I saw. I would not intentionally share anything that could be seen to encourage violence against anyone. That’s not what I’m about.”

Thorpe apologised for this cartoon that was posted to her Instagram.

Asked about the protest, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised the King for doing a “fantastic job”.

“We should remember in the context of health, that he is out there doing his public service notwithstanding, you know, the health challenges he himself has had – so I think he’s doing a great job.”

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, who attended the event, expressed his dismay.

“It’s unfortunate political exhibitionism, that’s all I’d say,” he said.

Another of the guests, Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne, was highly critical of Thorpe for disrupting the reception.

“I was absolutely amazed that she got through the door,” he said.

“That was uncalled for and un-Australian.”

Payne, who was awarded the highest military honour for his service in Vietnam, was one of the guests who spoke with the King as the royal couple left the reception.

Thorpe was a guest at the event.

Another guest, businessman Dick Smith, said the disruption was an aspect of Australian democracy.

“I think that’s the wonderful part of our democracy – that she’s not going to be put in jail,” he said.

Smith has known the King for many years, including a meeting in 1982 when Smith landed his helicopter on the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

The King views the a fire demonstration at the CSIRO in Canberra. Photo: AAP

While in Canberra, the King also laid a wreath at the Australian War Memorial and planted a gum tree at the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

He met volunteer firefighters and researchers at the CSIRO bushfire behaviour lab, witnessing a demonstration of how quickly bushfires can spread and learning about suppression methods.

The Queen attended a roundtable discussion about domestic and family violence while the King met Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Following events in Sydney, the King and Queen travel to Samoa to open the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

-with AAP