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Man charged after mourner grabbed the Queen’s coffin

Published 13:17 18 Sept 2022 BST

April Curtin
Man charged after mourner grabbed the Queen’s coffin

Homenews

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on the day of the Queen's funeral

A 28-year-old man has been charged with a public order offence after he allegedly grabbed the Queen's coffin in Westminster Hall. Muhammad Khan of Barleycorn Way in Tower Hamlets was arrested on Friday, in the hall where the Queen's coffin is lying in state. [caption id="attachment_359340" align="alignnone" width="2048"]LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Members of the public pay their respects as they pass Queen Elizabeth II's flag-draped coffin lying in state on the catafalque at Westminster Hall on September 18, 2022 in London, England. Members of the public are able to pay respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for 23 hours a day from 17:00 on September 18, 2022 until 06:30 on September 19, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) Members of the public pay their respects as they pass Queen Elizabeth II's flag-draped coffin lying in state on the catafalque at Westminster Hall (Image: Getty)[/caption]

Khan allegedly pushed through the queue before rushing to the Queen's coffin - knocking a seven-year-old girl along the way, according to one witness. He then allegedly grabbed the coffin and lifted the Royal Standard in which the coffin is draped.

The incident took place at around 10pm, at which point the live stream of the hall was temporarily stopped. Officers immediately tackled him to the floor and arrested him.

[caption id="attachment_359353" align="alignnone" width="634"] Onlookers were visibly shocked by the incident (Image: BBC)[/caption] The following day, Met Police charged Khan under Section 4A of the Public Order Act, which involved "behaviour indenting to cause alarm, harassment or distress". The 28-year-old will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday - the day of the Queen's funeral. [caption id="attachment_359347" align="alignnone" width="2048"]LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: The King's Body Guard, formed of Gentlemen at Arms, and Scots Guards, stand around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying in State inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster on September 18, 2022 in London, England. Members of the public are able to pay respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for 23 hours a day from 17:00 on September 18, 2022 until 06:30 on September 19, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III. (Photo by Adrian Dennis- WPA Pool/Getty Images) Members of the public are able to pay respects for 23 hours a day from 5pm to 6.30am (Image: Getty)[/caption] In a separate incident earlier that evening, a policeman expertly tackled a rollerblader after he turned a corner head-on into King Charles’ motorcade. The patrolling officer grabbed the man as he soared at speed near London's Parliament Square, seemingly evading security until he was within feet of the new monarch’s vehicle. https://twitter.com/pt1408/status/1570863470853386240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1570863470853386240%7Ctwgr%5E6a7c2b4a958f5d41b02e6713274352634319bda3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpolice-expertly-tackle-rollerblader-as-he-narrowly-misses-kings-motorcade-359277 At least five officers jumped in to detain the man, as the King drove by at around 7.40pm. The man, who was wearing at least one headphone, was floored and held on the ground by officers. Related links:

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Man charged after mourner grabbed the Queen's coffin