Man arrested after running up to Queen's coffin and 'lifting the Royal Standard' as onlookers gasp in horror
16 September 2022, 23:38 | Updated: 17 September 2022, 09:37
Police have arrested a man after he ran up to the Queen's coffin in Westminster Hall.
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Officers tackled the man to the floor after he appeared to rush towards Her Majesty's coffin at around 10pm on Friday evening.
He is thought to have put his hands on the casket. Footage before and after the incident showed the Royal Standard, the official flag of the sovereign, had been moved.
The Metropolitan Police said: "Around 10pm 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."
A witness who saw the man charge towards the coffin criticised the move as "disrespectful and unbelievable", adding that he was caught by police "within two seconds".
"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," the witness told Sky.
"She was grabbed out the way and the police had him within two seconds."
She added: "Terrible, absolutely terrible, so disrespectful and unbelievable - and this poor little seven-year-old child, this is her lasting memory of the Queen."
Another mourner 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."
Live streams were immediately cut for as long as 15 minutes due to the unfolding incident, after onlookers were seen gasping in horror.
Caller who queued almost 24hrs for the Queen's lying-in-state
A parliament spokesman said: "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."
It comes after a man attempted to roller skate in front of King Charles' car on the way to the final Vigil of the Princes earlier in the evening.
The King and his siblings surrounded their late mother's coffin to pay their respects for 15 minutes.
The Queen's grandchildren will take their turn on Saturday, standing guard around her coffin in London while final preparations continue for her state funeral on Monday.
The ceremony is expected to be the "largest international event" the UK has held in decades, possibly ever, according to officials.
Another incident took place on Wednesday night, in which a 19-year-old man allegedly exposed himself and pushed into mourners from behind as they waited in the line at Victoria Tower Gardens.
Adio Adeshine is said to have gone into the River Thames in an attempt to evade police before coming out and being arrested.
He was remanded in custody on Friday after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
