Fears for coronation safety as it’s revealed Buckingham Palace suspect ranted ‘I’m going to kill the King’ before arrest
CONCERNS over security for the coronation are mounting – as it’s revealed a suspect who was arrested outside Buckingham Palace ranted ‘I’m going to kill the King’.
With just days to go until King Charles is officially crowned, cops were forced to swoop after a man threw suspected shotgun cartridges onto Palace grounds.
Chaos unravelled on Tuesday around 7pm outside the royal residence’s gates after he reportedly threw a “number of items” out of a bag.
Witnesses then heard him shout “I’m going to kill the King”, before he was dragged away.
He was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon after he was searched and a knife was found.
Footage showed a man being led away from the scene by the Met Police as they placed the Palace on lockdown.
Officers then carried out a controlled explosion.
It is understood no royals were in the Palace at the time, although Charles and Camilla were there earlier in the day.
Royal fans had already begun camping along The Mall to ensure front-row seats ahead of Saturday’s festivities when they saw the commotion.
Police were last night facing questions over security after witnesses told how the would-be attacker placed a bag by the gates.
Security for the historical event has been estimated to cost around £150million.
The operation will see thousands of officers deployed along with protection squads, air support and roof-top snipers.
Drones will also be used to monitor the crowds.
Images obtained by The Sun show the suspect’s bag and its scattered contents.
Inside there were two passports, a phone, a wallet, keys, a large brown envelope, bank cards, and a laptop case.
There appeared to be a picture of a small child and a book, The Happiness Advantage, about using positive psychology to “enhance individual achievement”.
SUSPECT’S BAG
One witness told The Sun: “He was in his 30s. He’s been here the last few nights shouting, ‘I’m going to kill the King!’
“As soon as he placed the bag on the ground the police jumped on him. They were shouting at him, ‘Get down on the floor!’
“How on Earth was he allowed to get so close to the Palace with the coronation almost upon us?”
A neighbour of the suspect said: “I would see him walking his dogs and wouldn’t have a bad word to say about him.
“If he’s gone there with intent, that’s really shocking.”
A Met spokesman said: “Officers quickly detained the man at around 7pm after he approached the gates of Buckingham Palace and threw a number of items — suspected to be shotgun cartridges — into the Palace grounds.
“These have been recovered and will be taken for specialist examination. The man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
“Cordons are in place after the man was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag. Specialists attended and following an assessment a controlled explosion was conducted as a precaution.”
Chief Supt Joseph McDonald said: “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody. There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries. Further enquiries are ongoing.”
A full coronation rehearsal went ahead as planned last night.
It was understood the police were treating the matter as an isolated mental health incident.
Behind the scenes in the capital, a huge security and logistical operation is advancing as police chiefs and transport bosses prepare for the biggest state event since the funeral of the Queen last year.
The security operation, Golden Orb, is not as big as Operation London Bridge, the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth, as the site map for the coronation is much smaller.