Man arrested after he ‘ran up’ and touched Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, police say
- A man was arrested after he rushed Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin on Friday night.
- Thousands of members of the public have lined up to pay respects to the late Queen lying-in-state.
A man has been arrested after he “ran up” to Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster Hall in London, the Evening Standard reported.
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The “disturbance” occurred at around 10pm on Friday night, according to a statement from Scotland Yard.
It prompted the live feed showing mourners inside Westminster Hall for the Queen’s lying-in-state to be cut away for a brief period, per the Evening Standard. Broadcasters instead showed the view from outside Parliament — where people wishing to pay their respects have been lining up for as long as 24 hours.
Witnesses said the disturbing scene was “extremely upsetting,” The Sun reported. According to reports, he grabbed at the Royal Standard flag draped over the coffin. “It’s such disrespect to the body. Just not what you thought you would ever see,” a witness told The Sun.
Photos of the incident show several police officers wrestling the man to the ground within seconds of the incident occurring, according to the Evening Standard.
A Parliament spokesperson told BBC News: “We’re aware of an incident in Westminster Hall, in which a member of the public moved out of the queue and towards the catafalque.
“They have now been removed from the hall, and the queue restarted with minimal disruption.”
The Queen’s closed casket rests on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, inside Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster. On top sits the bejeweled Imperial State Crown. Members of the public are meant to file past the catafalque to pay their respects, according to UK Government guidance.
A source told The Guardian that the man managed to dart out of the line, climb some steps, and touch the coffin before being detained.
He was arrested under the Public Order Act and was taken into custody, according to police, per BBC News.
The arrest comes after a man appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order in connection with the Queen’s lying-in-state.
The 19-year-old allegedly sexually assaulted his victims who were standing in line to pay their respects, per BBC News.
