10 Days After their Van Gogh protest, Just Stop Oil Targets the King of England

Just Stop Oil is back at it again and this time the shenanigans included British Royal family members, King Charles, Prince William, Princess Catherine and Camilla Consort.  Yesterday, two members from the organization marched into Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and visited the royal family section.  As the two protesters made their way to the royal wax figures, they began removing their bags and outerwear.  The bold letters of the organization’s name swiftly appeared on their white tees as people quietly walked to and fro past other wax figures.  The activist duo consisted of a woman and man.  The woman grabbed a flat looking cake out of her bag and jammed it right into the face of the figure of King Charles.  

Would Prince William be next?  No! Prince William was actually spared of being a cakeface.  Perhaps Just Stop Oil is aware of William’s work with his Earthshot Prize which is an initiative being used to fund environmental solutions.  

The question is, “Why Charles?” Why did Just Stop Oil single out the King? Charles has been publicly committed to speaking regularly about climate issues.  It is not surprising that he’s been mum on these issues since becoming the reigning king.  Monarchs of the British kingdom as well as other countries are advised to steer clear of public expressions, which declare their personal and political views.  They are supposed to be politically neutral.   King Charles was supposed to attend the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November but the government asked him not to attend. This happened to be the advice of the now derelict prime minister, Liz Truss.  As a Prince, Charles was in attendance at events such as the 2020 World Economic Forum and the 2021 COP26 Summit.  He even gave a thoughtful speech at the 2020 World Economic Forum discussing his sustainable markets initiative and warned others about threats to modern civilization.  Will he be pushing this sustainable markets initiative as king? 

The organization, Just Stop Oil may have targeted King Charles because they probably desire to see him be just as vocal about environmental initiatives as king.  The group is putting Charles in a hotspot.  How will he be able to balance being a politically neutral figure for Great Britain and still be half the man he once was a passionate prince on a green mission? 

Just Stop Oil’s approach may be radically different but they are pushing boundaries to have their voices heard and to be missionaries of the good green gospel. Targeting the most powerful man in Britain—a man who was once publicly vocal about environmental issues was a very strategic move by Just Stop Oil. Is Charles secretly trying to figure out a way to influence his government to go in the right direction when it comes to halting fossil fuel licensing and production or will he do as other monarchs and remain mum on the issues closest to him.

Just Stop Oil clearly wants to know!  Check out the speech by Tom Johnson, one of the members who took a cake to the king’s face: 

“We are here because we seek to protect our freedoms and rights, because we seek to protect this green and pleasant land which is the inheritance of us all. Last year at COP 26 in Glasgow Queen Elizabeth said [2]: “The time for words has moved to the time for action!”   

Her successor King Charles III – on the continued heating of our world has said [3]: 

“We are feeling the effects of all of this now, and disasters are increasing with terrifying frequency and intensity, and causing unprecedented levels of physical and economic damage.” “No nation, no region and no population will be inured from the impacts of food, water and energy insecurity, and the resulting economic and political insecurity that arise from our seeming utter determination quite literally to test this planet to destruction” “In every sector of the economy there are solutions available now”  “For the past, what, 40-50 years I have been driven by an overwhelming desire not, to be confronted by my grandchildren – or yours, Ladies and Gentlemen, whom I mind about equally as much – demanding to know why I didn’t do anything to prevent them being bequeathed a poisoned and destroyed planet.  Now, of course, we are indeed being confronted by these very children, demanding immediate action and not just words.”

“The science is clear. The demand is simple: just stop new oil and gas. It’s a piece of cake”