- Buckingham Palace was placed on lockdown after a man threw shotgun cartridges on the grounds
- British police later arrested the individual on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon
- The incident comes only a few days before King Charles III's coronation ceremony
Authorities placed Buckingham Palace on lockdown after a suspect threw shotgun cartridges on the grounds a few days before King Charles III's coronation ceremony.
British police later arrested the man around 7:00 a.m. for suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. The individual was said to have approached the gates of Buckingham Palace and thrown what officials believed were shotgun cartridges into the grounds of the Palace.
Buckingham Palace Placed on Lockdown
Officials were later able to recover the shotgun cartridges and took them to a specialist to examine them. Now, the suspect was suspected of possessing an offensive weapon.
Authorities cordoned off the Palace after the man was also found to have had a suspicious bag. Specialists later attended and carried out a "controlled explosion" as a precautionary measure, said police without detailing further, as per Fox News.
In a statement, Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said that, fortunately, there were no reports of any shots fired in the area or any injuries to officers or public members. He added that officers remained on high alert at the scene of the incident and that further inquiries were still ongoing.
The incident happened a few days before the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, which is expected to be attended by more than 2,000 people on Saturday. The guest list was found to have more than 200 international representatives and roughly 100 Heads of State.
Authorities later removed most of the cordons around Buckingham Palace, and roads surrounding it were reopened. Metropolitan police officials added that they were not treating the recent development as a terror-related incident for the time being.
Reports noted that neither King Charles III nor his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, were at Buckingham Palace when the suspect was apprehended, according to DW News.
King Charles III's Coronation Ceremony
Before King Charles III's coronation, his accession to the throne occurred following the Queen's death, his mother. It became a deeply sad period when the nation bid farewell to its longest-reigning sovereign.
The coronation is expected to be a moment of public celebration for the new King and is set to be an over-the-top spectacle. The ceremony's symbolic meaning is the coming together of the monarchy, church, and state for a religious ritual where the monarch will vow to God and the country.
Buckingham Palace said it would reflect the monarch's role today and move forward into the future while remaining rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry. Those who wish to view the ceremony from their homes can do so through special coverage of some media outlets.
While details on the length of the ceremony have yet to be given out, many expect King Charles III's ceremony to be shorter than his mother's, which was held seven decades ago. At the time, CNN said the former Queen's ceremony, the first live royal event to be televised, lasted more than three hours.
Related Article: Japan, South Korea to Resume Financial Dialogue After 7 Years
