A man was arrested by police after rushing towards Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin, grabbing hold of it in the process.
Tens of thousands of people continue to line up to pay their respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch who died at age 96.
The queue reportedly stretched about 10 miles with some waiting up to 12 hours for a chance to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II, including football legend David Beckham.
The late monarch has been lying in state in Westminster Hall since Wednesday as part of the official mourning process ahead of her state funeral on Monday.
The royal family and the new King Charles have continued their duties as they mourn the loss that the nation shares.
There have been a few incidents as thousands descend to see the late Queen. In a separate event, The Crown Prosecution Service revealed that a man was charged with two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and two counts of sexual assault on a female, per CNN.
Man in custody after trying to pull Royal Standard flag off Elizabeth II’s coffin
An unidentified male has been arrested after running toward Queen Elizabeth’s coffin inside Westminster Hall in London.
The man reportedly broke from the queue and rushed toward the coffin, attempting to remove the Royal Standard flag on top of it yesterday.
He was swiftly arrested by security at the venue with photos and a video emerging shortly after the incident.
A reported eyewitness told The Sun: “We thought someone had fainted and then we heard someone shriek. Someone got up to the coffin, grabbed the flag and pulled it upwards,” the person said to the publication, continuing:
“They picked up the bottom and wafted it, almost to see what was underneath. It happened so fast.”
The outlet reports that others found the incident “extremely upsetting” to watch, adding: “It’s such disrespect to the body. Just not what you thought you would ever see.”
In the video, witnesses can be heard gasping in shock amid the commotion with some reportedly being left in tears.
The detained man pushed a seven-year-old girl on route to the coffin
Witness Tracey Holland revealed to Sky News that the man shoved her niece to get to Queen Elizabeth’s coffin:
“Some person decided they were going to push my [seven-year-old niece] out the way, run up to the coffin, lift up the standard and try to do I don’t know what. She was grabbed out the way and the police had him within two seconds.”
“Terrible, absolutely terrible, so disrespectful and unbelievable – and this poor little seven-year-old child, this is her lasting memory of the Queen,” Holland added.
A motive has not been reported and the man was arrested for an offense under the Public Order Act according to a statement by the Metropolitan Police.