A would-be assassin detailed the reason for his attempt on Queen Elizabeth’s life on social media.
Jaswant Singh Chail was arrested early Christmas morning after scaling a wall and attempting to enter Windsor Castle while armed with a crossbow. Currently, palace security is undergoing an investigation to determine how the man was able to access the grounds, Daily Mail reported.
Chail posted a video on Snapchat prior to the incident that detailed his motives. In it, the 19-year-old suspect is dressed in a hoodie and mask that have been described as being inspired by “Star Wars.” Chail used a voice distorter when making the recording.
‘I’m sorry,” the would-be assassin said. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done and what I will do. I will attempt to assassinate Elizabeth, Queen of the Royal Family. This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.”
He continued, “It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated and discriminated on because of their race. I’m an Indian Sikh, a Sith.” Later, Chail refers to himself as “Darth Jones,” which is where the “Star Wars” angle comes into play.
The suspect was not able to enter any buildings on the property. Police said, “The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment — he has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals.”
The Daily Wire previously reported that Her Majesty was staying home for the Christmas holiday this year, which is a departure from royal tradition. Usually, the queen hosts the entire family at her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Buckingham Palace aides called the cancellation a personal decision that “reflects a precautionary approach” during the Omicron surge. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace claimed that “all appropriate guidelines” would be followed for the gathering in London.
Even though this assassination attempt was unsuccessful and didn’t get very far at all, it’s not the first time Queen Elizabeth experienced an intruder. In 1982, Michael Fagan somehow breached Palace security and made it as far as Her Majesty’s private sleeping quarters. Apparently, Fagan scaled a drainpipe and entered through an unlocked window.
On his way to the queen’s bedroom, the intruder broke an ashtray and cut his hand on broken glass. Elizabeth used a phone alarm in her bedroom when the man entered. “They say she must have been frightened. I didn’t frighten her too much but I was quite shocked,” Fagan told The Sun of pulling back the bed curtains.
“She used a phone on the bedside table to call security but when nobody came she got out of bed.” He continued, “Her nightie was one of those Liberty prints and it was down to her knees. She said, ‘Just one minute, I’ll get someone,’ swept past me and ran out of the room, her little bare feet running across the floor.”
Fagan said he broke in during a troubled time in his life. “I never went into Buckingham Palace to cause distress to her majesty,” Fagan said. “I’m not a mischief maker or a nasty villain. I have never, ever, hurt anybody.” He was later committed to a psychiatric hospital.
The most recent intruder claimed to have more deadly motives but thankfully didn’t make it as far. His father spoke to Daily Mail about going through hard times as well. “We’ve not had a chance to speak to [Chail] but are trying to get him the help he needs,” the man’s father said. “From our perspective, we are going through a difficult time. We are trying to resolve this issue and it’s not easy.”