Extinction Rebellion activists plan Windsor Castle protest against King Charles - even though he is a famous green campaigner and will be 500 miles away at the time
Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists are planning to stage a Windsor Castle protest against King Charles - even though the monarch will be 500 miles away at the time.
Charles, whose passion for the climate is well-documented, will be spending the summer holiday at Balmoral in Scotland while eco-activists descend on the royal estate for a three-day demonstration.
The 75-year-old, who has campaigned on environmental issues for 50 years, is being urged by XR to do more on green issues.
The protest, called Upgrade Democracy, will take place between August 30 and September 1 and will not specifically target the King or any individuals, the group claims.
The action comes despite Windsor Great Park practicing sustainable land use for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, the Crown Estate has a commitment to hit Net Zero carbon emissions by 20230.
Buckingham Palace is understood to be aware of the plans, but said it was a matter for the police.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists are planning to stage a Windsor Castle protest against King Charles (pictured)
XR said Windsor Castle (pictured) was the 'embodiment of a broken and unjust system'
King Charles is a well-known green campaigner. He is pictured here planting a lime tree near the Tea House in the Buckingham Palace garden
Announcing the protest, the eco-mob quoted a book called Harmony, which was written by the King when he was Prince of Wales in 2010.
'This is a call to revolution,' he wrote in the introduction. 'The Earth is under threat. It cannot cope with all that we demand of it. It is losing its balance, and we humans are causing this to happen.'
XR, who last month received the backing of Dame Judi Dench and Emma Thompson - said it was targeting the royal estate because the King 'clearly understands the plight of the planet' and the urgent need for change.
It added that he is expected to be less vocal on climate now he is monarch because it is 'too political' to get involved.
It's unclear if XR see Charles as an ally or the enemy. They said they would not target an individual but 'the system' in which money and power is 'concentrated in the hands of few'.
They said 'His Majesty and all people of good hearts and good conscience' are invited to join. But the group also said it had chosen Windsor Castle as the 'embodiment of a broken and unjust system'.
XR wrote to the King on June 13 to inform him of its plans to 'bring thousands to his door' and they have urged him to help facilitate the protest - despite him not even being in England at the time.
Their letter said: 'On the weekend of 30th August to 1st of September we will bring thousands to your door in Windsor to protest at the failure of our government to act on the science of climate change and ecological collapse.
An XR march through London led by Chris Packham and Emma Thompson, amongst many others last month
King Charles attended the Cop28 climate change summit in Dubai last December, where he gave a speech
'Government failure is baked into our broken political system; without a radical upgrade of democracy our politicians will just fail us again and again. Money and power needs to be removed from politics so we can decisively tackle the crisis faced by life on earth.
'We refuse to bequeath a dying planet to future generations by failing to act now.
'We act in peace, with ferocious love of these lands in our hearts. We act on behalf of life.'
Catherine Bartlett, of Extinction Rebellion UK, said yesterday: 'Windsor Castle has been chosen as an embodiment of a broken and unjust system where our message will resonate powerfully.
'The general election has neither fixed our broken system nor addressed the urgent action needed to tackle the climate and nature emergency.
'Aristocrats, oligarchs and corporate interests have infected and distorted our politics and media for their own benefit and at our expense.
'Our politics is failing us from top to bottom.
'It's time for a democratic upgrade.
'We demand better at all levels; from the head of state to local councils but our central demand is for a Citizens' Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice, which is needed more urgently now than ever before.'
MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace and Thames Valley Police for comment.
