Queen Elizabeth may want to beef up her security!
Last week, a man posing as a priest was welcomed into Victoria Barracks, located immediately outside of Windsor Castle, according to The Sun. Not only did the soldiers stationed at the barracks allow the intruder in without checking for identification, he was even welcomed with drinks and a meal as he hung out with the officers there before being offered a bed to stay the night!
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The unidentified man apparently claimed to be a friend of the chaplain for the Coldstream Guards at the barracks. A source told TalkTV (per The Sun):
“The guy turned up at the gate, said his name was Father Cruise and claimed to be a friend of the battalion’s Padre, the Rev Matt Coles. He was invited in and offered something to eat.”
Per People, the TalkTV sources revealed:
“Within a couple of hours, he was drinking with the officers in the bar and telling them stories of how he had served in Iraq. He was telling lots of tall stories and the lads were enjoying his banter and having a few drinks. It was only later when he started talking about how he had worked as an ejector-seat test pilot and had some organs replaced that the chaps started to get suspicious.”
Despite those suspicions, the intruder still spent the night in the barracks; police weren’t called until the following morning, April 27. Unsurprisingly, the source reported:
“Checks were made in the morning. It was apparent this guy wasn’t a bona fide priest.”
The TalkTV source claimed that the man was “known to local police as having mental health issues.” In a statement, a Thames Valley Police spokesperson told NBC News:
“We received a report of an outsider at Victoria Barracks in Sheet Street, Windsor. Officers attended and removed the outsider from the barracks. No further action was required.”
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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the British Army told People:
“The Army takes this breach of security extremely seriously and it will be thoroughly investigated as a matter of priority. This incident is now part of an ongoing investigation and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
As it happens, the queen was away at Sandringham House for the celebration of her 96th birthday when the incident occurred. She actually returned from her trip just hours after the man had been escorted off the premises. According to a People source, “there was no breach of security at Windsor Castle and there was no breach of royal security.”
Pretty scary that a guy could just smooth talk his way onto the grounds like that. Sounds like the queen needs some less gullible guards over there!
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
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