Windsor Castle intruder charged under Treason Act with intending to harm the Queen
A 20-year-old man who was arrested carrying a crossbow in the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day has become the first person in more than 40 years to be charged with offences under the Treason Act.
Jaswant Singh Chail, from Southampton, was charged on Tuesday - almost eight months after the incident - with intending to injure or alarm the Queen under Section 2 of the 1842 Act.
He was also charged with making threats to kill and possession of an offensive weapon.
The decision to charge Mr Chail - who was initially sectioned under the Mental Health Act - was made following an investigation by Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 17.
Nick Price, the head of the CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: "The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Jaswat Singh Chail with offences after he was arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 25 December 2021 carrying a crossbow.
"This decision has been made following an investigation carried out by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
"Mr Chail, 20, has been charged with making threats to kill, possession of an offensive weapon, and an offence under the 1842 Treason Act.
"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mr Chail are active and that he has the right to a fair trial."
Mr Chail was arrested inside the grounds of Windsor Castle at around 8.30am on Christmas Day while the Queen was in residence, sparking a review of royal security.
The Queen, 96, was spending Christmas at Windsor rather than Sandringham, as is traditional, due to concerns over the spread of the new Covid variant.
A video, in which threats against the Queen were allegedly made, had been uploaded to social media a short time before Mr Chail was apprehended.
The alleged incident was the latest in a string of security breaches at Windsor Castle in recent years.
In April last year, a woman was arrested after being found wandering around the grounds of the Royal Lodge in Great Windsor Park, claiming to be looking for Prince Andrew.
In 2003, there was a major alert after a self-styled comedian gained entry to the Palace during Prince William’s 21st birthday party.
Mr Chail grew up in Hampshire and at the time of his arrest was living with his parents - who are directors of an IT firm - and his twin sister at a house on a private estate in the village of North Baddesley.
The investigation was initially carried out by Thames Valley Police, but was later handed to Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command because of the seriousness of the case.
