UK: Buckingham Palace under lockdown after arrest of man for throwing shotgun cartridges in castle premises

On Tuesday evening, a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace after throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into the Palace grounds. Police cordoned off the area and carried out a controlled explosion as a precautionary measure. The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, but police say that the incident is not being treated as terror-related, and there were no reports of any injuries.

Man carried a knife and a bag

According to police, the man was searched and found to be carrying a knife, but not a gun. He was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag, which led to a controlled explosion being carried out as a precautionary measure. Police say that the incident is being treated as an isolated mental health incident.

Coronation rehearsals delayed

Despite the incident, rehearsals for the King's Coronation on Saturday went ahead as planned. The King and Queen Consort were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the arrest. However, the King did host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the palace earlier on Tuesday. Soldiers dressed in bright yellow and red uniforms filed past the palace and along the Mall in the early hours of Wednesday morning during the rehearsals.

Huge policing operation

The upcoming Coronation celebrations, which will be attended by world leaders and other royals from around the world, are expected to be heavily guarded. Policing minister Chris Philp has described it as a "huge policing operation."