Police in London has detained a man after witnesses claim he rushed Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it was lying in state on Friday inside Westminster Hall and raised the Royal Standard, the monarch’s official flag.
The guy allegedly harmed a 7-year-old child when he slipped past security and seized hold of the coffin before being thrown to the ground by police from the Metropolitan Police and security officials. Many onlookers had waited hours to pay their respects to Her Majesty, who passed away on September 8, and they were shocked at the awful commotion.
The State Funeral for the queen is scheduled for Monday at 6 a.m. ET.
Police acted quickly even though the reason the guy rushed the casket is now unknown. The individual was “arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody,” according to a police statement.
An eyewitness described the suspect and explained what happened.
“We saw him in the queue from the beginning of the queue and throughout the day. He was by himself,” the witness said. “When we entered the room we were at the top of the stairs when we saw the incident. A lady screamed as it happened. It was quite unnerving.”
The source also spoke with the girl’s aunt, who was allegedly shoved out of the way.
“A person decided they were going to push my seven-year-old niece out the way, run up to the coffin, lift up the standard and try to do I don’t know what,” the woman said. “She was grabbed out the way, and the police had him within two seconds.”
King Charles III and his siblings, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne, kept vigil for their late mother earlier in the day. As vigil attendees looked on, the four siblings entered Westminster Hall while all were dressed in military uniforms.
As the King’s Body Guards kept watch over the queen’s coffin, the royal family made their way there to guard the coffin of their late mother formally.