Climate Activists Beam Protest Messages Onto Billionaire’s $70 Million Superyacht In London

Climate activists projected a series of anti-wealth and pro-tax messages onto the superyacht Lady Christine at London’s Canary Wharf last week, targeting the vessel’s billionaire owner in a non-destructive demonstration calling for stronger climate action and higher taxation for the ultra-rich.

The action was carried out by the campaign group Climate Resistance. The group has often expressed its opposition to extreme wealth and what it sees as a lack of climate responsibility among the ultra-rich.

Instead of using paint or any damaging materials, the activists used light projections to beam messages onto the yacht’s hull. The phrases included “Abolish billionaires,” “Wealth tax now,” “Tax dodger,” and “Seize me.”

The activists projected the slogans onto the starboard side of the 68-metre superyacht, which was moored along the quay beside the high-profile vessel Phi.

The yacht’s bright white exterior briefly became a backdrop for the group’s messages, drawing attention from the surrounding area but causing no physical harm to the vessel.

Lady Christine is a 2010-built Feadship custom-designed for Scottish businessman and philanthropist Lord Irvine Laidlaw. The shipyard has previously said that both Lord Laidlaw and his wife, Lady Christine Laidlaw, were closely involved in the design process, including minor interior details such as door sensors for their dogs.

The yacht is valued at about $70 million, and the owner is estimated to spend between $7 million and $10 million every year on maintaining it.

The vessel stands out for its 1,608 GT volume, tall profile, and six-deck layout. It is fitted with an Art Deco-influenced interior, a full-beam master suite, two private studies, a large en-suite bathroom and dressing room, a private gym, and a forward-facing panoramic observation lounge.

Lord Laidlaw, who lives in Monaco and South Africa, is widely known for his philanthropy and longstanding involvement in offshore yacht racing, having owned more than a dozen large sailing yachts over the years.

He stepped down from the UK House of Lords in 2010 after a legislative change that would have required foreign-resident members to register in the UK and pay British taxes. Five members, including Lord Laidlaw, chose to leave the chamber but were permitted to retain their titles.

In 2021, Lady Christine underwent a six-month multimillion-dollar refit in Australia. The project involved around 200 workers, and the yacht was wrapped in plastic during the works, which the yard manager at the time described as the largest plastic wrap job carried out in Australia.

Reference: luxurylaunches

Source: Maritime Shipping News