Man tackled to ground after grabbing flag from Queen’s coffin in front of horrified mourners at Westminster Hall
A MAN rushed towards the Queen’s coffin and grabbed the flag last night as shocked mourners looked on.
Horrified mourners watched as the yob leapt over the aisle and grabbed the Royal Standard with both hands.
Police in Westminster Hall wrestled him to the ground as more officers rushed in.
They quickly carried him out of sight. Live streams of the coffin cut out for around 15 minutes.
It's believed the man was trying to reveal Her Majesty’s coffin underneath the flag as she lies in state.
It comes as...
- Prince Andrew appears in military uniform as he stands vigil beside Queen’s coffin with King Charles, Anne and Edward
- Camilla reveals Royals are ‘exhausted’ but are carrying on as ‘stopping would be worse’ as she visits Wales with Charles
- Prince William will lead the Queen's grandchildren at a poignant vigil at her coffin tomorrow
- Prince Harry will wear his uniform at the vigil after being granted permission by King Charles
- The list of 500 heads of state and dignitaries attending the Queen's funeral has been confirmed
- Sophie Wessex is reportedly set to take on a number of the Queen's old roles
- Queen Consort Camilla has been soldiering on with her duties despite breaking a toe two weeks ago
- Entry to see the Queen lying in state has been paused for at least six hours
Shocking scenes saw the intruder bolt up the stairs leading up to the catafalque.
One witness told The Sun: “We thought someone had fainted and then we heard someone shriek.
“Someone got up to the coffin, grabbed the flag and pulled it upwards.
“They picked up the bottom and wafted it, almost to see what was underneath. It happened so fast.”
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They also said the disturbing scene was "extremely upsetting" to watch, adding: "It’s such disrespect to the body. Just not what you thought you would ever see."
Another witness, Tracey Holland, said her seven-year-old niece was in the firing line as the man took his chance.
She told Sky News: “Some 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.
“Darcy was grabbed out of the way and the police had him within two seconds.
“Terrible, absolutely terrible, so disrespectful and unbelievable - and this poor little seven-year-old child, this is her lasting memory of the Queen.”
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A third mourner, who did not wish to be named, described members of the public "hysterically crying" and "shaking" after the intrusion.
And a separate witness told how a mourner yelled when she saw the man running at the coffin.
They said: "We saw him from the beginning of the queue and throughout the day, he was by himself.
"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."
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The horror came just hours after King Charles guarded his mother's coffin for 15 minutes with Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne this evening.
The siblings stood guard over their mother as they did in Scotland earlier this week - in a moving tradition known as Vigil of the Princes.
As the vigil took place, emotional mourners continued to flood into the hall to pay their respects, having queued for hours to be there.
After a signal from one of the Queen's bodyguards, the King led his siblings away.
The Metropolitan Police said a man was later arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody.
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A spokesman said: "At around 22:00hrs on Friday 16 September officers from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command detained a man in Westminster Hall following a disturbance.
"He was arrested for an offence under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody."
