British authorities arrested an armed teenager suspected of trespassing on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II was celebrating Christmas, on Saturday.
Officials with Thames Valley and London’s Metropolitan police said they responded to a reported security breach at the castle, about 20 miles west of London, around 8:30 a.m.
Officers arrested a 19-year-old man from Southampton on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon, authorities said. They did not elaborate on what weapon prompted the charge against him.
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“We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings,” Thames Valley police said in a statement. “Members of the Royal Family have been informed about the incident. We do not believe there is a wider danger to the public.”
It was not immediately clear why the man, whose name was not released, was on the property.
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Officials with Buckingham Palace said this week that the queen planned to spend the holidays at Windsor Castle instead of traveling to her Sandringham estate as usual, The Associated Press reported. She has spent most of her time at the castle since the start of the pandemic, according to the AP.
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