Palace police mistake Prince Andrew for terrorist as burlgar pays for a private tour
A security review has been launched after a break-in at Buckingham Palace when a man scaled a fence to get inside the Queen’s home. Police said the man had been found “in an area currently open to the public during the day” and was arrested for burglary, trespass and criminal damage. A second man was arrested outside the palace for conspiracy to commit burglary following the incident shortly before 10.30pm on Monday.
An inner-city mansion packed with shiny things is always going to be a target.
The Telegraph thunders from its front page:
Palace break in: terrorist warning
Number of terrorists arrested: none
The scoop, however, is with the Express, which leads with:
Prince Andrew held at gunpoint in Buckingham Palace terror
The pro-am golfer and weapons model was trying to rob from Mummy? Can that be linked to the rumours that he is about to remarry with the pimping Sarah Ferguson? Would Mummy miss just one solid gold curtain ring?
ARMED police pointed their guns at Prince Andrew and ordered him to “put your hands up and get on the ground” after mistaking him for an intruder in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
For a tense half a minute the Queen’s 53-year-old son was in danger of being shot dead by officers paid to protect him and his family.
Royal protection officers were said be “jittery” after a genuine intruder had been found in the Palace’s state rooms two days earlier. A suspected accomplice was also arrested in a street outside the Palace.
The BBC then adds:
Scotland Yard confirmed a man was stopped at around 18:00 BST on Wednesday and ordered to verify his identity – but did not confirm the man was Prince Andrew.
They said no weapons were drawn or force used in the incident.
Scotland Yard said in a statement: “On Wednesday 4 September at approximately 18:00 BST two uniformed officers approached a man in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to verify his identity.
“The man was satisfactorily identified.
“No weapons were drawn and no force was used.”
An “insider” says in the Express:
“He just went out into the gardens for a walk, to relax and enjoy the sunshine. It was only in the early evening and so was light. When he got to a far corner away from the Palace, he was suddenly pounced upon by an officer, and another was not far behind. They shouted all the usual, put your hands up and get on the ground, and both pointed their guns straight at him. He might have served in the Falklands war but I don’t care who you are, it must have been terrifying.
“What no one can understand is why they didn’t recognise him, and there was a sort of Mexican stand-off for a few tense seconds, maybe half a minute. Eventually, after he insisted he was Prince Andrew, the penny finally dropped, and they put their guns away. “From what we’ve all heard the Duke was absolutely livid and tore them off a strip… The general feeling is that the police are desperate to hush the whole thing up. It’s not been a good week for them.”
It is believed he may have been on a £70 a head guided tour earlier in the evening.
The intruder is said to have made his way to the state rooms decked out in priceless paintings and artefacts and to have come within yards of the Queen’s private rooms. He set off motion sensors and dozens of police and security sped to the scene.
The intruder was trying to smash a glass door with a fire extinguisher and escape when he was caught. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary, trespass and criminal damage to a door.
Or as the Mirror say:
A burglar broke into Buckingham Palace after climbing a wall and kicking open a door.
But this is trumped by the Indy which spotted a SpiderMan:
In a rare breach of royal security a suspected burglar scaled 12 floors while his accomplice waited on street
Such are the facts…
Posted: 8th, September 2013 | In: Reviews, Royal Family Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
