20-year-old British Sikh man booked for attempting to harm Queen Elizabeth II. This is what has happened

A 20-year-old British Sikh man has been charged under the 1842 Treason Act of Britain after the police arrested him with a crossbow at Windsor Castle last year.

Jaswant Singh Chail was arrested on Christmas Day last year when Queen Elizabeth II was spending the day at the castle. The Queen celebrated Christmas Day 2021 with Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla. Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. He is also the heir to the throne.

Jaswant Singh Chail is a Southampton native. Following the Metropolitan Police's investigation, Chail was charged. The Mental Health Act was used to hold him at first.


Notably, the section of the 1842 Treason Act, under which Chail has been booked, states that it would be an offence if anyone assaults the Queen or possesses an offensive weapon with the intent to injure her.

The section has rarely been used in the last 180 years. The section was used for the last time in 1981 after Briton Marcus Sarjeant, who had fired blank shots at the Queen while she was on parade. Sarjeant was given a jail term of five years.

However, the person, who was last convicted under the more strict 1351 Treason Act, was William Joyce, also called Lord Haw Haw. The police informed that Chail could not enter any buildings since they implemented the security protocol immediately after noticing the breach.

Queen Elizabeth II generally celebrates her Christmas Day at the Sandringham estate. However, she stayed in Windsor Palace as a precautionary measure due to the more substantial prevalence of the COVID-19 wave during that time. Last year, a man scaled the gates of the palace and was arrested by the police. Besides, a man scaled the walls of the palace in 2022 as well.