Why The Armed Intruder Outside Windsor Castle Was Scarier Than We Originally Suspected
Queen Elizabeth got quite the surprise from an unexpected guest on Christmas day this year... and no it wasn't from a certain jolly man dressed in a red suit bearing gifts.
As reported by CNN, a 19-year-old armed intruder made his way onto the grounds of Windsor Castle where the queen opted to celebrate the holiday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the suspect was apprehended shortly after and no one was harmed — including Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles who were also at the castle at the time of the incident. "The man has been arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at this time," Superintendent Rebecca Mears of the Thames Valley Police said in the statement. "Members of the Royal Family have been informed about the incident," she continued.
But what makes this incident scarier than we originally thought? Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?
This is not Queen Elizabeth's first rodeo with an unwanted guest
Unfortunately, this is not Queen Elizabeth's first run-in with an unwanted guest...
In 1982 a man by the name of Michael Fagan managed to make it past Buckingham Palace security and sneak into the queen's bedroom while she was sleeping, per CNN. While Queen Elizabeth miraculously emerged from the scary incident unscathed, palace security was immediately called into question — especially once it was revealed that she had made several attempts at calling for help. But that's not all. In 2004, a protestor by the name of Jason Hatch also scaled the Buckingham Palace walls via a ladder and proceeded to campaign on behalf of fathers' rights while dressed as Batman. Alas, Prince William is also no stranger to palace crashers. During the prince's 21st birthday celebration at Windsor Castle, stand-up comedian Aaron Barschak managed to make it past the gatekeepers and crash the royal affair. "We consider any breach of security to be a serious matter and a thorough review into all the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway," a police official later told CNN.
Perhaps Queen Elizabeth could benefit from a Ring camera? TBD...