An Unexpected Moment By Queen Elizabeth's Coffin Ended In An Arrest

The queues continue to grow in London to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall, with members of the public waiting hours to pay their respects. On September 16, some had the opportunity to see the former monarch's children hold vigil over her coffin, as they did at St. Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh (via The Guardian). King Charles III, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York stood on the catafalque — a raised platform that the queen's coffin is rested upon — standing at its head, foot, and sides with their heads bowed for 15 minutes, according to iNews. This royal act of mourning will be repeated on September 17 by the queen's eight grandchildren.

Since the queen arrived at Westminister Hall, a large police and security presence has taken hold over the capital, with an estimated 10,000 officers on duty by the day of the funeral (per Daily Mail). The security operation has so far kept the mourners safe as they pass through the hall, in addition to protecting the queen's coffin. It had been going on without a hitch, with airport-like security measures being used before mourners entered the hall and a watchful eye on the procession past the coffin. But that changed on September 16, when one mourner decided they wanted to get too close to the coffin.

As BBC News reports, a man decided to exit the queue as it filed passed Queen Elizabeth II's coffin to get closer to the catafalque. In a statement, London's Metropolitan Police said, "officers from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command detained a man . . . following a disturbance." No footage of the moment nor the arrest was captured, as the live feed of the incident was cut. A Parliament spokesperson added that once they were removed from the hall, "the queue restarted with minimal disruption."

According to the Daily Mail, the man was said to have "rushed at the coffin" in an attempt to grab it. He was "quickly taken to the floor by police officers," according to reports. A spokesperson for the Met told the Daily Mail that the man "was arrested for an offense under the Public Order Act and is currently in custody."

This isn't the first time someone has been arrested concerning events following Queen Elizabeth II's death. A 22-year-old man was taken into custody during the procession down Edinburgh's Royal Mile on September 13, in which he heckled Prince Andrew as he and his siblings walked behind their mother's coffin (via Reuters). Police Scotland said he "was arrested and charged in connection with a breach of the peace." Footage of the moment saw members of the crowd pull the man away before being taken by officers (per BBC News).

The day before, a woman was arrested for holding a sign that read "abolish the monarchy" in protest of King Charles III's accession to the throne, according to the Independent. However, rather than being arrested for the sign, the Independent wrote that she was actually charged under a law related to behavior "likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm." Many more protestors have been arrested holding similar signs, in addition to calling out things like "who elected him?" among crowds, as a man did in Oxford on September 12 during a proclamation ceremony in the city.