Community Chat

[Pearlee]

According to a story in Foxnews, quoting The Sun, a convicted torturer made a delivery to Kensington Palace and got withing "touching distance" of William's and Kate's three chidlren, who were with their longtime nanny.   William and Kate were very "concerned" over this security breach, which is now being reviewed.   Parts of the story:

"A convicted torturer was allowed to get within feet of Prince George in a massive security breach uncovered by The Sun.

The royal family launched an investigation after we told them driver Darren Benjamin, 40, was allowed into Kensington Palace.

Worried Prince William has demanded to know how a convicted torturer got within feet of his three young children. ...

Benjamin, who was caged for a brutal attack, later boasted to pals about seeing George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in the courtyard.

He even told them how “pleasant” the future king was.

The violent criminal was jailed for seven years in 2008 for his part in a torture plot where an innocent man had boiling water poured down his back.  ...

But he was allowed to deliver furniture to Kensington Palace on July 14 in his role as a driver for an independent company.

He said he was greeted by George, seven, Charlotte, four, and Louis, one, who were in the courtyard with their nanny.  ...

A source said: “This is the type of potentially deadly security oversight that simply cannot be allowed to happen."

[Oznell]

Gosh, incidents like that so make you wonder.  There always seem to be security loopholes, and any parent would be concerned, for sure.  What a hideous thing to have done-- poured boiling water on someone....

Reminds me-- decades and decades ago, that guy that actually got into the Queen's bedroom!  I can remember virtually nothing about it, except that obviously she came to no harm.  I think mental illness was involved.  I have a vague idea that he may even have sat on her bed and "chatted"?  But maybe I'm confusing that with a movie.  The whole ludicrous incident sounds like a movie scene!

[beckyb1012]

When I read he had been bragging to all his friends about how close he got to them and how pleasant the future King was.   You would think he had been invited for tea.  This should not have happened in anyone's home.  Some jobs after prison just should not put the person in someone's home.  Royalty or not.

[chrystaltree]

I'm sure the security loop holes will be closed to prevent any future convicted torturers from delivering furniture to the homes of any other royal children.  

[Pearlee]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

I'm sure the security loop holes will be closed to prevent any future convicted torturers from delivering furniture to the homes of any other royal children.  

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@chrystaltree   But the problem is, it's impossible to close all security loopholes.  

And Wm. and Kate have the kids' school to worry about also.  

If someone really wants to "get to" someone else to do harm, he or she will find a way to do it.  It's fortunate that this person did not wish to do the children harm, because he certainly could have.  Where on earth were the children's "minders" (bodyguards)?

@Oznell   Yes, I remember when that person got to the Queen's bedroom.  Clearly security breaches haven't all been corrected since then.  As I recall, he did have mental problems as you wrote.   

Clearly the royals need tighter security.  

[patbz]

About eight years ago, while on a Amazon cruise, my dinner companions were "gentlemen farmers"whose property was very close to Windsor Castle (close to where William and Harry were schooled).  One day they saw a car on their land (occupants were doing surveillance).  They contacted the police, arrests were made.

[chrystaltree]

I think I read that some guy broke into Buckingham Palace again too.  He didn't actually do anything but he got in.  Yes, they need to shore up security but remember the UK has a constitutional monarchy that already costs the taxpayers more money than any of us can even imagine so perhaps it's time for them to hire and pay for increased security themselves.  In the same way that the billionaires of the world have state of the art security.  They can afford it.

[Pearlee]

I am reminded that when Prince Louis was born, I heard Wililam in an interview say "Now thrice the worry."

I think William must have been livid.  The article stated he was "concerned" but methinks there was heck to pay and (figuratively) heads will roll over this.  And Meghan and Harry will become even more private about Archie!

[beckyb1012]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

I think I read that some guy broke into Buckingham Palace again too.  He didn't actually do anything but he got in.  Yes, they need to shore up security but remember the UK has a constitutional monarchy that already costs the taxpayers more money than any of us can even imagine so perhaps it's time for them to hire and pay for increased security themselves.  In the same way that the billionaires of the world have state of the art security.  They can afford it.

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I read that too and it was just recent.  No harm but still you would think..........

[cherry]

@Oznell  I thought about that too. The Queen could have been murdered in her bed, it took so long for help to arrive