Harry, Meghan uninvited to leaders’ State reception
LONDON – A man arrested after rushing out of the Tueue of mourners and grabbing the 4ueen’s coffin at the Palace of :estminster in a security scare that stunned police and well-wishers was behaving ‘strangely’ and had waited 1 hours to get close enough to the late monarch lying-instate, eyewitnesses have claimed.
Officers tackled the man to the floor last night after he pushed through the Tueue, knocking aside a seven-yearold girl, in a scramble up to the coffin in the centre of the hall in /ondon - and then touched the 4ueen’s casket, even managing to lift the Royal 6tandard in which it is draped.
7he 0etropolitan Police said the incident occurred at around 1 pm, as the live feed from inside the hall cut away for a brief period. A spokesperson told 0ailOnline yesterday that a man had been arrested in :estminster Hall on suspicion of a public order offence and that he still remains in custody.
7his morning, new 0etropolitan Police &ommissioner 6ir 0ark Rowley was seen patrolling the Tueue for the 4ueen’s lying in state near /ambeth Palace in south /ondon.
ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR
He greeted mourners, including several who were wearing blankets after waiting in line for hours through the early morning, and walked from the east towards /ambeth Bridge.
(yewitnesses yesterday described the man’s odd, even erratic, behaviour in the run-up to the security scare. 6peaking to 0ailOnline, -on :illiams, who Tueued with the coffin-pusher before the incident unfolded, said ‘He stood out to me as we were in the Tueue for 1 hours from start to end and he was some way ahead of us, even so we noticed him as he stood out.
‘And he only stood out as most people in the Tueue were talking to each other and interacting, however, he wasn’t. I saw a few people ne[t to him trying to strike up conversation but he seemed to keep himself to himself.
‘He got to the coffin and seemed to lift up the flag, he didn’t try to pull out off from what I could see. As I said people were in shock although they seemed to try to carry on. :hat surprised me is the guards didn’t appear to move or help, it was all left to the police.’
Another mourner who saw the incident described how a well-wisher ‘screamed’ when she saw the man running at the coffin.
ENGLAND – 7he 'uke and 'uchess of 6usse[ were ‘uninvited’ to a 6tate reception for world leaders and foreign royals, it was reported last night.
It is thought the couple received an invitation to the event, hosted by .ing &harles and the 4ueen &onsort, earlier in the week.
But Prince Harry and his wife 0eghan are now unlikely to attend after officials at Buckingham Palace insisted the reception was for working royals only, it is understood.
U6 President -oe Biden, )rench President (mmanuel 0acron and the &anadian Prime 0inister -ustin 7rudeau are among the heads of 6tate tomorrow who will arrive in /ondon this weekend to attend 4ueen (li]abeth’s funeral tomorrow.
AMBASSADORS
:orld leaders, ambassadors and foreign royals will attend a reception at the palace where they will also be greeted by the Prince and Princess of :ales, the Princess Royal and the (arl and &ountess of :esse[.
7he confusion over Harry and 0eghan’s invitation points to issues with communication between the &alifornian-based couple and the royal family, according to the 'aily 7elegraph.
It follows an apparent U-turn over Harry’s right to wear military uniform despite being a non-working royal.