‘Crossbow intruder’ at Windsor Castle

AN ARMED intruder was arrested yesterday after breaking into the private grounds of Windsor Castle, reportedly carrying a crossbow, where the Queen was spending Christmas Day.

The 19-year-old man was arrested by police officers on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon – as well as breach or trespass of a protected site – at around 8.30am. He may have got into the castle grounds using a rope ladder to climb over a fence from an area which is publicly accessible.

The man, said to be from Southampton, remains in police custody and officers said that they did not believe there was a wider danger to the public.

It comes as the Queen delivered her most moving Christmas message, paying a heartfelt tribute to her “beloved Philip” as she spoke of the comfort she has found in “passing the baton” of their values on to the next generations.

In her first Christmas broadcast since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen spoke movingly of his “mischievous, enquiring twinkle”, his sense of service, intellect and irrepressible “capacity to squeeze the fun out of any situation”.

This year, she said, she understood especially how hard Christmas can be for those who have lost loved ones, describing life as consisting of “final partings as well as first meetings”.

Saying the Duke was “always mindful” of the importance of “passing the baton”, the Queen spoke of the “great happiness” she has found in seeing her own family “embrace the roles, traditions and values that mean so much to us”. At the end of a year that has seen her compelled to take a step back from full public duties after a spell of ill health at the age of 95, she mentioned her two heirs and their wives by name to say she is “proud beyond words” to see how they have taken on the Duke’s pioneering work on the environment.

The emphasis on the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will not go unnoticed among royal watchers, with the three generations of the family working closer together this year than ever before. The Queen is spending her second Christmas at Windsor Castle, having cancelled plans to host her family at Sandringham owing to the Covid surge.

Despite the virus again meaning “we can’t celebrate quite as we may have wished”, she urged the watching public to “still enjoy the many happy traditions” of the festive season just as children find the “joy in simple things”.

The message is the Queen’s most moving and personal to date, following a difficult year for the Royal family.

The broadcast, filmed in the White Drawing Room, saw the Duke of Edinburgh Philip take centre stage in photographs, with the Queen wearing her sapphire chrysanthemum brooch she also wore in their honeymoon and

Diamond wedding anniversary pictures. It opened with footage from the Queen’s 1997 anniversary speech, in which she called him “my strength and stay all these years”.

In the pre-recorded 2021 Christmas message, the Queen spoke fondly of her family, mentioning the four new greatgrandchildren born this year. The Queen said: “Although it’s a time of

‘That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him’

‘Prince Philip was always mindful of this sense of passing the baton’

great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones.

“This year, especially, I understand why. But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work.

“His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him. But life consists of final partings as well as first meetings – and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas. We felt his presence as we, like millions around the world, readied ourselves for Christmas. While Covid again means we can’t celebrate quite as we may have wished, we can still enjoy the many happy traditions.”

Of the Christmas rituals she, along with many in Britain and the Commonwealth, treasures, she said: “We see our own children and their families embrace the roles, traditions and values that mean so much to us, as these are passed from one generation to the next, sometimes being updated for changing times. I see it in my own family and it is a source of great happiness. Prince Philip was always mindful of this sense of passing the baton.”

Referencing the “astonishing success” of his Duke of Edinburgh awards, she added: “He was also an early champion of taking seriously our stewardship of the environment, and I am proud beyond words that his pioneering work has been taken on and magnified by our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William – admirably supported by Camilla and Catherine – most recently at the Cop26 summit.” In a reflection of her own deep personal faith, the Queen spoke of the “simplicity of the Christmas story” and the birth of a child as a “new dawn with endless potential”. “I am sure someone somewhere today will remark that Christmas is a time for children,” she said. “It’s an engaging truth, but only half the story. Perhaps it’s truer to say that Christmas can speak to the child within us all. “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, 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.”

Police declined to comment on the nature of the “offensive weapon” but Thames Valley Police Superintendent Rebecca Mears issued a statement confirming that the investigation is ongoin

“We are working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police,” she said. “The man remains in custody at this time. We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings.

“Members of the Royal family have been informed about the incident.”