A man armed with a crossbow was arrested after attempting to break into Windsor Castle on Christmas morning, while Queen Elizabeth was celebrating Christmas.
According to police, who released more information on the case on Sunday, the intruder is being detained under the country’s Mental Health Act.
The suspect is a 19-year-old from Southampton, a port city in the south of England.
When was the intruder detained?
Police said that the intruder was stopped moments after he had entered the grounds of the castle and he did not manage to break into any buildings.
“The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment — he has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals,” London police said.
Queen Elizabeth was celebrating Christmas when the intruder entered castle grounds
The Mail on Sunday reported that the suspect had used a rope ladder to scale a metal fence.
The man was arrested under suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon.
“Following a search of the man, a crossbow was recovered,” said police.
What is the Mental Health Act?
The Mental Health Act allows authorities to detain and treat people with mental health issues without their consent when they are deemed to pose a risk to themselves or others.
The Mental Health Act was passed in 1983 and updated in 2007.
The act applies in England and Wales, a jurisdiction which covers two of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom. The other two countries are Northern Ireland and Scotland.
sdi/rs (AFP, Reuters)
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
1. She celebrates two birthdays
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but official celebrations don’t take place until the second Saturday of June — a tradition that was started in 1748 by King George II. He was born in November and because the weather wasn’t good for public celebrations, decided to have a second birthday at a better time of the year. COVID halted last year’s celebrations.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
2. She never went to school
This might sound attractive to kids who’d rather stay at home to play all day… But the Queen did have private tutors who taught her constitutional history, law and French. Nevertheless, she has often said she missed having a formal education.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
3. She was related to her late husband
The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, as both were the great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth reportedly fell for the prince when she was just 13 and the two eventually married in November, 1947. The queen famously used ration coupons she had saved up after the Second World War to buy the material for her wedding dress.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
4. She had her personal fashion designer
Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) became the royal family’s assigned designer after a series of commissions for the royal family. He famously crafted Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown and her outfit for the coronation. According to Vogue UK, Hartnell created nine versions of the dress and the Queen ultimately settled for one that featured floral emblems for every country in the British dominion.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
5. One of the jewels in the crown is a diamond from India
The “Koh-i-noor” diamond, which means “light of the world” in Persian, is an emotional issue for many Indians, who claim the diamond was stolen by British colonialists from the ruler of Punjab. The 108-carat diamond forms a part of Queen Elizabeth II’s crown and is on display at the Tower of London.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
6. She is the longest-reigning monarch
Elizabeth became Queen on February 6, 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She has reigned for 69 years, longer than her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who served as monarch for 63 years, from 1837-1901.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
7. She doesn’t need a passport or driver’s license
“As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one,” according to the official website of the British royal family. However, all other members, including the late Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, have passports. She is also the only person in the UK to not require a driver’s license.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
8. She adores corgis
Every dog has its day, but the royal pets certainly have better days than their common counterparts. The Queen’s love affair with corgis began in the 1930s, when her father got one called Dookie. But Elizabeth’s favorite was Susan, who she could hardly bear to part with and whose offspring were responsible for the royal household’s eight decades of happy corgi ownership.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
9. She has been portrayed in over 200 films and TV series
According to movie ranking website IMDb, Queen Elizabeth II has been a protagonist in over 225 documentary and fictional films and television series. She also won a BAFTA award in 2013 “in recognition of her outstanding patronage of the film and television industries.” Pictured above is a still from the Netflix show “The Crown” featuring British actress Claire Foy as the monarch.
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10 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday
10. She is not the richest person in Britain
The queen’s net worth, estimated by Forbes magazine at 350 million pounds (€403 million, $482 million), comes from her investments, jewels and two castles. But as far as royals go, the monarch’s fortune seems modest in comparison to the Duke of Westminster’s: Earl Grosvenor is worth around 10 billion pounds. Elizabeth II ranks 372th in the Sunday Times’ list of the 1,000 richest people in the UK.
Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan
