The security of Buckingham Palace was breached just days before King Charles’ Coronation when a man threw shotgun cartridges onto the Palace grounds on May 2, 2023.
The suspect, who has not been named, was arrested outside the Palace on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon after he was suspected of throwing shotgun cartridges over the Palace walls, according to the BBC. A controlled explosion was conducted by the royal security services to contain the situation.
However, the Metropolitan Police assured the public that the incident was not terror-related.
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan revealed that the man had asked the police officers outside the Palace about a soldier. When refused, he threw shotgun cartridges over the Palace walls. The man was found not to be carrying a gun but had a knife in his possession. He warned the police officers about searching his bag ‘with care’ leading to the controlled explosion.
Despite the security breach, Buckingham Palace reassured the public that King Charles’ Coronation would proceed as planned. Security minister Tom Tugendhat praised the police response, calling it ‘fantastic’ and assured that a ‘huge security operation’ would be in place for the Coronation.
According to the BBC, “The suspected shotgun cartridges have been recovered and will be examined by specialists.”
The security of Buckingham Palace has been under intense scrutiny for the past few weeks due to the high-profile Coronation ceremony. King Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, are set to be officially crowned on Saturday, May 6.
