Armed intruder arrested on Windsor Castle grounds as Queen Elizabeth and royal family celebrated Christmas
An armed intruder was arrested on the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day, police said. Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family were celebrating Christmas at the castle.
Officers responded to reports of a security breach around 8:30 a.m. local time, according to police. Thames Valley Police Superintendent Rebecca Mears said in a statement that security protocols were initiated "within moments of the man entering the grounds." The suspect, a 19-year-old man from Southampton, did not enter any buildings, she said.
He remains in custody and an investigation is ongoing.
"The man has been arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon," Mears said. "We do not believe there is a wider danger to the public."
The royal family typically spends Christmas and the New Year at Sandringham House in Berkshire, but cancelled those plans amid rising COVID-19 cases and opted to spend the holiday at Windsor Castle instead, according to the BBC. It was the second year the pandemic interrupted the royal family's traditional plans, BBC said.
"This Christmas will be different to what so many of us had planned," the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said Saturday on Twitter. "From those who are alone or having to isolate away from loved ones, to the incredible people supporting our NHS and caring for those most in need — we are thinking of you."
On Christmas Day, Queen Elizabeth II delivered her annual Christmas message, during which she spoke about love and loss following the death of her husband, Prince Philip, who died earlier this year at the age of 99.
"For me and my family, even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas, as we have the chance to reminisce, and see anew the wonder of the festive season through the eyes of our young children, of whom we were delighted to welcome four more this year," she said. "They teach us all a lesson — just as the Christmas story does — that in the birth of a child, there is a new dawn with endless potential."
“And for me and my family, even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas, as we have the chance to reminisce…”
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) December 25, 2021
In her 2021 broadcast, The Queen reflects on the life of the Duke of Edinburgh, while looking ahead to her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. pic.twitter.com/IMf3aW4IxI