The King and Queen were escorted to safety at a public gathering in Jersey after a man was seen on a nearby roof, hours after a would-be assassin attempted to shoot former US President Donald Trump.
The royals were on an open-air visit to the island’s capital, St Helier, on Monday, the first visit by British monarchs since 2005, when they were suddenly escorted to a nearby hotel by concerned staff.
Footage captured by the Mail shows Camilla being taken away as she tastes locally produced ice cream.
Reports say the reason for the sudden departure was that security personnel spotted someone standing on a roof overlooking the royals, reminiscent of Trump’s would-be assassin Matthew Crooks, who shot the 45th president two days earlier.
Police then contacted the suspect, who underwent a background check. Ultimately, the incident was ruled a false alarm.
Queen Camilla was escorted to safety by security during a visit to Jersey earlier this week
A member of the royal security force urges the king to keep walking as he is taken to safety
The scare briefly disrupted the King and Queen’s visit to Jersey – the first by the reigning British monarch since 2005 – earlier this week
Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt on Saturday, just two days before the royal visit to Jersey
The gunman was identified as Thomas Crooks, who shot and killed a former fire chief when he fired shots at the 45th presidential election.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said the sun The man was seen on a roof overlooking Liberation Square, where the king and queen greeted their benefactors.
Buckingham Palace did not issue an official comment, but it was previously reported that there was a “small matter of concern” among royal advisers.
Matt Taylor, founder of Jersey Sea Salt, was speaking to the King at the event when the security alarm went off.
He said: ‘He stopped at the stall and said: “Oh, sea salt.” I said: “Come and have a chat, sir.” Then his security guard appeared, grabbed me and said: “He’s got to go now.”‘
The Queen and Camilla later appeared in public again after the all-clear was given.
A royal source quoted in the mirror said: ‘There was a small problem, an investigation turned out to be a false alarm, all precautions were taken and the program resumed shortly afterwards.’
But the sighting of an individual on a rooftop brought to mind 20-year-old Matthew Crooks, who shot the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Trump was hit in the ear and left bloodied, while a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed after being hit by one of the deflected shots.
Seconds later, Crooks was killed by Secret Service snipers. The question remains, however, why he was not apprehended sooner after witnesses spotted him minutes earlier.
A motive for his actions has also yet to be identified. Crooks was found to have searched online for Trump, 46th President Joe Biden and members of the British royal family, including Catherine, Princess of Wales, before the shooting.
Trump told the Republican National Convention (RNC) yesterday that he “shouldn’t have been here” as he addressed supporters, many of whom wore ear patches in a sign of solidarity.
The RNC came to an end yesterday when Trump was formally confirmed as the Republican presidential nominee.
King Charles had said he was “delighted” to return to Jersey, a “beautiful and unique” island where his late mother had had such “esteem and affection”.
When the heavens opened, they were greeted with loud cheers. They left the Bentley and immediately sought shelter under umbrellas.
The King and Queen, wearing a blue silk dress by Anna Valentine, were led into the square by a royal mace, a gift from Charles II to the island in 1663 as a token of appreciation for the island’s loyalty to the Crown.
They walked over a red carpet, where about 200 local lawyers, Jurats (who act as judges), elected politicians and various guests were present.