How Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted Duke of Westminster’s wedding ceremony
Two Just Stop Oil protesters who disrupted the Duke of Westminster’s society wedding of the year arrived at the event as early as 7am before enacting their extravagant undercover plot.
The two silver haired women were arrested by police after they let off a fire extinguisher containing orange powder paint during the wedding, which included the Prince of Wales among one some of the guests, earlier today.
The protesters, who have been named by JSO as Polly, 73, a care worker from Norfolk, and Sheila, 69, a former NHS nurse from Bristol, were quickly removed from the crowd by police outside Chester Cathedral as onlookers booed.
Two royal fans, who were standing next to the protestors in the crowd, revealed the pair were already in the crowd when they arrived at 7am and concealed the fire extinguishers in two shopping trolleys.
One image, obtained exclusively by the MailOnline shows the JSO protesters trying to blend in with the crowd, with care worker Polly seen sporting a large hat while sitting in front of the two trollies supposedly concealing fire extinguishers.
One image, obtained exclusively by the MailOnline shows the JSO protesters trying to blend in with the crowd before disrupting the Duke of Westminster’s society wedding of the year
A Just Stop Oil protester is led away by police after trying to disrupt the Duke of Westminster’s Wedding
A second silver-haired protester was also arrested following the killjoy stunt
The moment clouds of powder paint were released from two fire extinguishers
Barbara Williams, 81, from Cheshire, told MailOnline: ‘I feel a bit shaken after it. We were standing next to them all day.’
Her friend Andrea Machin, 56, added: ‘They were already here when we arrived at 7am, they had shopping trolleys with them.
‘Everyone was watching the bride and groom and then we just saw orange and they had what looked like a fire extinguisher with them.
‘The police realised quite quickly what was happening and pulled them out. One of them said it was for her grandchildren. It happened just as William was coming out of the door.’
Rhona Dalziel, 57, said: ‘One of them had been reading a Richard Osman book. It’s bizarre.’
Another woman, who was in close proximity to the two protesters, claimed they arrived outside the cathedral at 5:30am.
Janet Evans told The Telegraph: ‘She’s been here since half five this morning. It was quite scary too because she gave it full force.’
Another member of the crowd, Jo Finnigan, who is an art teacher local to Chester was stood behind the protesters when they let the fire extinguisher off.
She told The Telegraph: ‘She knew what she was coming for and she was very determined.
‘She had a trolley, like a pensioners trolley on wheels…there was no sign of anything at all.’
Two women let off a fire extinguisher containing the orange powder paint in the direction of the wedding party, which included the Prince of Wales
The protesters were removed from the crowd by police as onlookers booed
There was a large police presence at the event due to so many high profile guests being in attendance
Hugh Grosvenor, 33, universally known as ‘Hughie’ to aristocratic friends, is estimated to be worth £10.42billion, making him the richest man under 40 in Britain.
The landowner, who married Olivia Henson, is the godfather to William’s son Prince George and Prince Harry‘s son Archie. But while William played a major role at the service among 400 or so expected guests, Harry remained in California.
Olivia, 31, looked stunning in her wedding dress and blue shoes as she left the 11th Century Cathedral alongside her new husband as they made their way to a waiting Bentley.
But at around 12.30pm, two Just Stop Oil fanatics used fire extinguishers to spray powder paint in their direction.
A spokesman for Cheshire Police told MailOnline: ‘Shortly after 1pm on Friday a coloured flare was released by two women, believed to be protesting on behalf of Just Stop Oil, on St Werburgh Street, Chester.
‘Officers were immediately on the scene and two women were quickly arrested on suspicion of public order offences.
‘The 69-year-old woman from Manchester and 73-year-old woman from Suffolk are both in police custody at this time.’
The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson kiss after getting married at Chester Cathedral
The Duke of Westminster and his bridge Olivia leaving Chester Cathedral after their wedding today
Prince William, who was an usher at the ceremony, and William van Cutsem after the wedding of Olivia and his old friend Hugh
It is not the first time activists supporting Just Stop Oil have targeted a wedding, with another elderly woman targeting George Osborne’s nuptials last year.
In July, the woman ambushed the ex-chancellor, 53, and his long-term partner Ms Rogers, 40, outside the 14th century St Mary’s Church in the Somerset village of Bruton.
The campaign group boasted about an activist throwing orange confetti over Mr Osborne and his new wife Thea Rogers as they left a Somerset church.
Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said she had ‘no time for Just Stop Oil’ and labelled their actions ‘pathetic’ and ‘counter-productive’.
Just Stop Oil retweeted a video of the incident, posting: ‘You look good in orange George Osborne — congratulations to the newlyweds.’
It is not the first time JSO killjoys have targeted a wedding, with the group branded ‘pathetic and tedious’ when they interrupted George Osborne’s nuptials last year
In July, one of its activists ambushed the ex-chancellor, 53, and his long-term partner Ms Rogers, 40, outside the 14th century St Mary’s Church in the Somerset village of Bruton
