According to the police, a man approached the palace gate on Tuesday evening and threw several objects on the palace grounds. It was believed to be shotgun cartridges. A suspicious bag he was carrying was detonated under police control. The area has been cordoned off. According to police, no one was injured. The officers arrested the man immediately.
The on-site investigation is ongoing, according to the police, and the objects thrown by the man on the grounds of Buckingham Palace are being examined by specialists. However, the incident is currently not classified as terrorist.
According to British media, neither King Charles nor his wife Camilla were in the palace at the time of the incident. Palace officials declined to comment on the incident.
Highest level of security for the coronation celebration
London’s boulevard, The Mall, which leads to Buckingham Palace, is closed to traffic due to preparations for Saturday’s coronation. The royal couple will be driven in a procession by carriage from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where they will be crowned. Then it should also go back to the palace by carriage. Tens of thousands of onlookers are expected along the route. The security operation to protect the route is one of the largest in recent years.
This isn’t the first time gunmen have attempted to enter British royal palaces. By Christmas 2021, a man had gained access to the grounds of Windsor Castle with a loaded crossbow. According to his own statements, he wanted to kill Queen Elizabeth II, who had died in the meantime. The Queen and other members of the family were in the palace at the time. A policeman stopped the masked man. The man was convicted of high treason, among other things. The sentencing is still pending.
qu/AL (dpa, afp, rtr)