Protesters defaced a waxwork statue of King Charles III at Madame Tussauds in London on Monday, demanding that the U.K. government halts new oil and gas licenses and consents, in a bid to tackle climate change.
Activists from the group Just Stop Oil, who have arranged protests at cultural sites and tourist attractions around London in recent months, stepped over barriers at the London tourist attraction and struck the wax model of the king in the face with a cake.
Most recently, the group brought traffic in an area of North London to a standstill as they staged a sit-in at the famous recording studios on Abbey Road. Last week, two members of the group threw soup at Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers on display at the National Gallery before gluing themselves to the museum floor. The painting was unharmed with minor damage to its frame, according to the museum.
A spokesperson for Madame Tussauds told Newsweek: "At approximately 10:50 am today (Oct 24) protestors entered the 'World Stage' Zone at Madame Tussauds London and appeared to throw what is believed to be cake at our figures of The Royal Family.
"Our security team dealt with the incident quickly and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police on this matter. The attraction remains open, with our Royal Family set closed temporarily."
Video footage taken from the time of the protest shows two members of Just Stop Oil, identified by the group as Eilidh McFadden, 20, from Glasgow, and Tom Johnson, 29, from Sunderland, issue a spoken statement that included a quotation from the king's 2019 speech about the state of the global environment.
It ended with the protesters saying: "The science is clear. The demand is simple: just stop new oil and gas. It's a piece of cake."
The royal family exhibit also includes wax statues of Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
That the target of the attack was King Charles may come as a surprise to some as the prince has actively raised awareness of climate change since the 1970s, something for which he was criticized early on but recognized as ahead of his time more recently.
When asked why Charles' waxwork had been specifically chosen for the protest, a spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said it was to draw attention to the failings of the U.K. government, which acts in the king's name, when it comes to climate protection.
"The rationale behind today's action is that we all face immense harm from climate collapse and those who are in privileged positions have a special responsibility to act to avert the crisis. Those with the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden," the spokesperson told Newsweek.
"No nation, no region and no population is safe from the impacts of the climate crisis, from food, water and energy insecurity to the economic and political insecurity that will result. Here in the U.K., we are already feeling the effects of a heating world, King Charles III's realm is threatened," they said.
"If King Charles truly is in service to his country he needs to act now. There is no place for neutrality in the face of a government actively planning to harm its citizens by granting new oil and gas licenses. We need to stop the harm. No new oil and gas."
Charles recently made headlines regarding his eco-credentials as it was reported that Prime Minister Liz Truss advised the new monarch not to attend the COP27 summit in Egypt.
As Prince of Wales, Charles had been at liberty to express his environmental views, which at points strayed into the political sphere, more freely. As king, he is expected to keep strictly out of politics so as not to jeopardize his required position of impartial neutrality.
In his accession address to the nation, given the day after Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, the new king appeared to acknowledge this himself, saying:
"My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."
Prince William, the new Prince of Wales, is also a passionate supporter of environmental causes, and it is expected that he will now become the leading voice of the royal family in this area.
Newsweek reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
