Man who ‘invaded Queen with rope ladder’ was armed with crossbow | Abroad

The young man, a 19-year-old from Southampton, was detained by police at about 8:30 a.m. local time Saturday morning, “moments after he entered the site.” According to one source, he used a rope ladder to climb over a fence next to a public road.

The man is said to have entered the grounds near the queen’s quarters, but police said he did not enter any of the buildings. The man would have had “an assault weapon” with him, although a police spokesperson did not want to give more information about this. Security sources confirmed to the Sunday Mirror that the man was carrying a crossbow when he was detained by police.

A source told the Mirror: “Security officers could not believe their eyes when they saw the man with what appeared to be a crossbow and immediately dispatched armed police as a top-level emergency.”

Although swift action was taken, the security services are said to have reacted with shock to the incident. “It is shocking and terrifying that something like this could happen while the Queen and other important royals were present. This is worrying and we will investigate this thoroughly.” The intruder is questioned by the police. His motive is not yet known.

Queen Elizabeth was present in the palace: she celebrates Christmas there with her eldest son Charles and his wife Camilla. The Queen is said to have been informed of the incident during breakfast.

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