According to reports, a 19-year-old man from Southampton, England, broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle while Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were celebrating Christmas at home. While the youth was caught before entering any building, he was reportedly carrying a crossbow.
“The man has been arrested on suspicion of breach of a protected site or trespass and possession of an offensive weapon,” the police statement said.
He said members of the royal family had been informed and that the police did not believe there was a major threat to the public.
Later in the morning, Charles, Camilla and other members of the royal family were pictured arriving at St. George’s Chapel for a Christmas church service.
This isn’t the first time strangers have broken into the Royal Palace
While security breaches in royal palaces and residences are extremely rare, given the stringent security protocols, this is not the first time this has happened.
Over the years, many infiltrators have broken in. One of the most remembered and serious incidents occurred in 1982, when an intruder named Michael Fagan climbed onto the walls of Buckingham Palace and wandered into the Queen’s room while she was sleeping. This was perhaps the biggest security scandal in the history of the British monarchy.
Who was Michael Fagan?
In 1982, Michael Fagan managed to break through the walls of Buckingham Palace and enter the British monarch’s bedroom. The 30-year-old was born on August 8, 1948. He was at one time a member of the North London branch of the Workers’ Revolutionary Party.
It is believed that Fagan tried to break into the palace more than once. He did not succeed the first time, but succeeded in the second attempt. However, he was later caught and arrested. While not charged with trespassing at Buckingham Palace on July 9, 1982, as it was considered a civil offense rather than a crime, he was called to trial on charges of theft.
Other cases of break in
Although Michael Fagan is the most popular person to have successfully entered the royal palace, he certainly isn’t the first to do so. There have been at least two other similar cases in the past decade. In 2016, another man climbed the palace wall before being confronted, and in 2013 a man with a knife was stopped from entering the palace gates.
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