Royal Correspondent and writer, Michael Cole, has issued a fresh safety warning to the Royal Family, after Jaswant Singh Chail was sentenced to nine years in prison for planning to kill the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The 21-year-old broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day in 2021, armed with a crossbow and metal mask.
Chail was convicted of treason at the Old Bailey, the first of its kind for more than 40 years. Mr Justice Hilliard said there are "clear concerns about his mental state".
Speaking to Anne Diamond and Martin Daubney on GB News, Michael Cole reacted to the sentencing.
Michael Cole warned that there 'aren't enough people' to form a secure perimeter for the King
GB News
Cole said: “A very serious breach of royal security. As you say, he was within the precincts of the castle for two hours before he was challenged and disarmed and arrested.
“And it might be said that had he raised that crossbow, a very deadly weapon, or pointed it, he would have been charged with high treason, and that would have resulted or potentially resulted in a life sentence as it is.
"And of course we must remember this was the Queen's last Christmas with us and all the family were there, as Anne just said, a very serious matter.
"But as the police kept saying yesterday, nobody was harmed so the systems worked.
The judge Mr. Justice Hilliard passed this hybrid sentence. So he's going to this very secure high security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor, and then after treatment to jail."
Cole continued: "So the worst didn't happen. The systems did work but it was a serious breach of royal security. Nothing like this has happened since blank shots were fired in 1981 in the Mall, when the Queen was riding to Trooping of the Colour.
“So a serious matter, but a happy outcome except for him. And the odd aspect of it was this interference with the artificial intelligence girlfriend spurring him on to attempt this crime.”
Anne then asked Cole if royal security has been "beefed up" since the crossbow incident.
Cole revealed: "Well, there have been other incidents of course. Do you remember that performance artist with the beard who got into a big party that was there beforehand that caused a few ructions?
Jaswant Singh Chail planned to kill the late Queen Elizabeth II on Christmas Day 2021
PA / Metropolitan Police
“I suppose there aren't enough people to make a perimeter, a cordon around it night and day, there are people on patrol and even on Christmas Day I'm sure with the family in residence, there would have been a full patrol of officers.
Cole admitted: “But it is a big estate. A determined assassin can always get through. I'm afraid that is the truth of the matter.
"Going way back you can see that in history, many, many attempts, not in the only in this country, but elsewhere.
"During Queen Victoria's time, there were seven determined attempts to assassinate her. Fortunately, none of them succeeded and on this occasion the outcome was not a tragic one."
