Julie Bishop slammed after taking selfie with Lionel Ritchie at Coronation of King Charles III 

Julie Bishop has been criticized by a prominent Australian reporter for taking selfies with Lionel Ritchie at Westminster Abbey at the coronation of King Charles III.

The former Australian foreign minister attended the historic event in London on Saturday along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other state leaders from around the world.

Once at the church, she took pictures with the American “All Night Long” singer and shared them with her 100,000 Instagram followers.

Lionel Ritchie then reposted Ms Bishop’s selfie on his own Instagram account. Pictured, from left to right: Ritchie, Ms. Bishop, 2022 Young Australian of the Year Daniel Nour

“A magnificent coronation service of great beauty, solemnity and historical significance,” she wrote in the caption.

“As Chairman of Prince’s Trust Australia, it was an honor to attend alongside Lionel Ritchie, Global Ambassador for Prince’s Trust.”

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford labeled Ms Bishop’s post as “inappropriate” in a tweet on Sunday.

“So inappropriate to take selfies in the abbey,” he wrote.

Mr Ford explained that the historic church, which dates back to the 13th century, is a ‘place of worship, not a red carpet’.

“Do what you like outside, but not as soon as you enter the holy place,” he said.

His tweet set off a Twitter firestorm with social media users storming in to defend Ms Bishop.

A Twitter user pointed out that other guests also posted selfies, but Mr Ford said Ms Bishop ‘should have known better’.

Peter Ford (pictured) slammed Julie Bishop over the selfie taken at Westminster Abbey on Saturday

Mr Ord said Mrs Bishop’s selfie was ‘inappropriate’ on Twitter (pictured)

Another user quoted the abbey’s official website, which says visitors are welcome to take photos inside the church, but Mr Ford said: ‘I suspect the invitation to do that was to take photos of the actual abbey.

“No celebrity selfies.”

Others pointed out that the coronation was a celebration rather than a sombre event, saying they saw no problem with the former Liberal minister’s post.

After the service, Ritchie shared Ms. Bishop’s Instagram post with his 1.4 million followers.

Ms. Bishop was also mocked for her elaborate beige dress with floral designs and a matching hat that towered over her head.

Some viewers said her outfit reminded them of a “toilet doll” – a type of decorative doll popularly used as a toilet roll holder in the 1970s.

Julie Bishop dressed as a toilet doll. Pumpkin is getting going now,” one person joked on Twitter.

Julie Bishop wore a fitted beige floral dress to the coronation on Saturday (pictured)

Some compared Mrs. Bishop’s elaborate outfit to a 1970s toilet trolley (pictured)

“Julie Bishop’s stylist is as effective as Morrison’s empathy coach,” someone else chimed in, while another said the outfit looked like a “hazmat suit.”

Others loved the look, with one writing, “Julie Bishop at the coronation looked compelling…with a touch of welding, a little panel tapping and some spray paint!”

Ms Bishop, Nick Cave and football superstar Sam Kerr are among a handful of Australians invited to the coronation of King Charles III.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon will lead the group of Australians attending the ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London.

King Charles, 74, automatically took over the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September.

At Saturday’s coronation, he and Queen Consort Camilla will be officially crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.