A man has been charged with a public order offence after being detained on Friday night in Westminster Hall where the Queen is lying in state.
Following a member of the public leaving the line of mourners and approaching the Queen’s coffin on Friday night, there were complaints of “a disturbance” in the solemn hall, according to the police.
The person “moved out of the queue and towards the catafalque (raised platform)” before they were “removed from the hall and the queue reopened with minimal disturbance,” according to a representative for the parliament.
The event took place while a quick cutaway in the live feed from within Westminster Hall occurred.
On Saturday night, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “A man who was arrested in Westminster Hall on Friday, September 16, has been charged.
“Muhammad Khan, 28, of Barleycorn Way, Tower Hamlets, was charged on Saturday, September 17, with an offense under Section 4A of the Public Order Act; behavior intending to cause alarm, harassment or distress.”
He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, the same day as the Queen’s state funeral.
Khan is the second person to be charged with committing an offense while in the queue to see the Queen’s coffin lying in state.
A 19-year-old man allegedly exposed himself and pushed mourners from behind as they waited in the line at Victoria Tower Gardens on Wednesday.
Adio Adeshine is said to have gone into the River Thames in an attempt to evade police before coming out and being arrested.
He was remanded in custody on Friday after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.