The moment a Buckingham Palace Guard raised his bayonet at would-be intruder

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,400
1,667
113
This is the dramatic moment a Queen's Guard raised his bayonet at a would-be intruder.

Tosin Odunaiya, a Nigerian who is in Britain illegally, had been ranting at the royal protection officers for five minutes before a Guard strode 50 yards over to him and challenged Odunaiya with his bayonet levelled at his neck.

Passers-by reported how the would-be intruder said 'Oh you're a big boy now' to the soldier - thought to be Scottish - who in turn replied 'Yes I am a big boy' before pushing him.

Odunaiya, who claims the guard 'didn't scare me', has since said he was expecting a 'private audience' with the Queen and thought he would be welcomed by them as their 'lost son'.

In February of last year police officers had to subdue a man with a Taser after he brandished a knife outside the palace gates.

Talhat Rehman, 54, was filmed holding the blade to his own neck.

Moment Queen's Guard pulled bayonet on would-be intruder who ranted at police before marching towards Buckingham Palace gates


Man was seen by passers-by shouting repeatedly at officers on Friday

As encounter escalated an armed guard rushed from his post to intervene

He levelled his bayonet at the man's neck as they exchanged words

Would-be intruder was ushered away by police and was not arrested

By Kieran Corcoran
6 April 2014
Daily Mail



This is the tense moment an armed Queen's Guard raised his rifle at a ranting would-be intruder outside Buckingham Palace.

The man had been shouting at royal protection officers for five minutes at the royal residence's north centre gate when the armed soldier intervened.

Witnesses told how the he strode 50 yards from his post to join the confrontation with the intruder, who has since claimed he was expecting a 'private audience' with the Queen.


Tense encounter: A member of the Queen's Guard can be seen levelling his rifle, tipped with a bayonet, at the throat of a man in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace

The man, who has identified himself as Tosin Odunaiya, a 23-year-old Nigerian who came to Britain illegally, said he 'presumed' that the Royal Family would welcome him into the palace.

But he was stopped at the gate before the guardsman's dramatic intervention, which caused his temper to flare.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'I wanted to speak with the Queen and presumed the Royal Family would have welcomed me as their lost son.'

Odunaiya, who claims the guard 'didn't scare me' said: 'I was shouting louder and louder when the Guard came over and started shaking his gun at me.'

Passers-by reported how the would-be intruder said 'Oh you're a big boy now' to the soldier - thought to be Scottish - who in turn replied 'Yes I am a big boy' before pushing him.

Royal protection officers then ushered the man away, though he was not arrested.

He told the newspaper that the incident on Friday was his fifth attempt to get into the palace, and that before he has been so sure of being allowed in that he brought a toothbrush with him.

Odunaiya claims that his past visits were made to lobby the Queen over Syria, but that now he just wants help going home to Nigeria - as he hates it in Britain.

It is unusual for soldiers to leave their post unless a Royal is under threat, as the Metropolitan Police are responsible for most issues related to guarding the palace.


Incident: The dispute took place at the north centre gate of Buckingham Palace, to the side of the main central gate


Scene: The confrontation took place at Buckingham Palace on Friday (file photo)

But it is believed that the soldier who intervened has the backing of his superiors.

The Metropolitan police said that they gave the man 'words of advice'.

A spokesman said: 'An incident occurred at the north centre gate of Buckingham Palace at approximately 17.50hrs on Friday 4th April.

'Officers from Royalty protection spoke to a male and he was given words of advice. There were no arrests.'

Scotland Yard refused to elaborate on why the man was not arrested.

A statement from the Army said: 'We are aware of an incident outside Buckingham Palace on Friday and while no one came to any harm and there were no arrests, we are very clear that the Metropolitan Police lead on Royal Security arrangements including outside the Palace itself.'

The armed confrontation is the latest security scare to strike the palace, after a man was arrested in the grounds last year, and another was shot with a Taser after holding a knife to his own neck and shouting at passers-by.

Victor Miller, a 37-year-old DJ, was arrested last September in the palace grounds and was later charged with trespass.

He scaled a 12ft fence to breach palace security, before being tracked down and taken into custody at a location 'open to the public during the day'.

The intruder is said to have made his way to the State Rooms where all the Queen's priceless paintings by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Titian are kept.

Even more shockingly, in February of last year police officers had to subdue a man with a Taser after he brandished a knife outside the palace gates.

Talhat Rehman, 54, was filmed holding the blade to his own neck.

The middle-aged man walked through crowds of tourists clutching two large kitchen knives before police surrounded him and used a Taser stun gun to disarm him.

As a policeman shouted a warning call of ‘Taser, Taser, Taser’ to his colleagues, the knifeman allegedly lunged forward, brandishing a six-inch blade in a series of swipes, before falling to the floor as he was stunned by the electrical charge.

WHO ARE THE QUEEN'S GUARD?



Clad in their distinctive red tunics and bearskins hats, the soldiers of the Queen’s Guard are charged with protecting official Royal residences.

The units, manned by fully-trained, serving soldiers, have more than 350 years of history and defended monarchs since Charles II took the throne after the English Restoration.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace’s forecourt – which happens every day in summer and every other day in winter – is a major tourist attraction.

In London they also protect St James’s Palace, and the Tower of London. They can also be seen at Windsor Castle in Berkshire and Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPsTqfqfPIY&feature=player_detailpage

Buckingham Palace Queen's Guard pulls rifle on would-be intruder | Mail Online
 
Last edited:

Spade

Ace Poster
Nov 18, 2008
12,822
49
48
9
Aether Island
A Scotsman defending the royals. Lovely.

"With awe-struck thought, and pitying tears,
I view that noble, stately Dome,
Where Scotia's kings of other years,
Fam'd heroes! had their royal home:
Alas, how chang'd the times to come!
Their royal name low in the dust!
Their hapless race wild-wand'ring roam!
Tho' rigid Law cries out 'twas just! "
R. Burns
 

The Old Medic

Council Member
May 16, 2010
1,330
2
38
The World
As a Member of Clan Stewart of Atholl, I understand exactly why a Scots soldier would move to protect the Queen. She IS the Queen of Scotland, and even the Scots Nationalists do not want to remove her (or her successors) from that position.