Queen's assassination threat: Christmas Day intruder claims Star Wars affiliation

The intruder who broke into Windsor Castle grounds on Christmas morning brandishing a crossbow was planning to assassinate the Queen, according to reports of a chilling new video. Photo / The Sun

The intruder who broke into Windsor Castle grounds on Christmas morning brandishing a crossbow was planning to assassinate the Queen, according to reports of a chilling new video.

According to Page Six, 19-year-old Jaswant Singh Chail from Southampton in London has said he didn't expect to survive his attempt and has professed to being a "Sith" - a member of the Dark Side in Star Wars.

In a video The Sun details that he apologises in a deep distorted voice for "what I've done and what I will do. I will attempt to assassinate Elizabeth, queen of the royal family". Calling himself "... an Indian Sikh, a Sith," he says his name "was Jaswant Singh Chail, my name is Darth Jones", a possible reference to James Earl Jones, the actor known as the voice of Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Chail declares his planned attack is "revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre", likely referring to the Massacre of Amritsar in India, where British troops killed 379 unarmed protesters and wounded 1200.

He goes on to say his attempt is also for those who have been "killed, humiliated and discriminated on [sic] because of their race".

The intruder who broke into Windsor Castle grounds on Christmas morning brandishing a crossbow was planning to assassinate the Queen, according to reports of a chilling new video. Photo / The Sun

He was arrested 24 minutes after posting the video and according to Thames Valley Police Superintendent Rebecca Mears: "The man has been arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains in custody at this time.

"We can confirm security processes were triggered within moments of the man entering the grounds and he did not enter any buildings."

According to Page Six, Chail used a rope ladder to scale the metal fences and enter the gardens of Windsor Castle where the Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie were all spending their Christmas.

The Telegraph has also reported that a Metropolitan Police spokesman said that "following a search of the man, a crossbow was recovered. The man was taken into custody and has undergone a mental health assessment.

"He has since been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and remains in the care of medical professionals," the statement added.

The Daily Mail spoke to the man's father, Jasbir Singh Chail, 57, who said: "something's gone horribly wrong with our son and we are trying to figure out what".

"We've not had a chance to speak to him but are trying to get him the help he needs. From our perspective, we are going through a difficult time. We are trying to resolve this issue and it's not easy," the software engineer said.

According to The Sun, police were seen entering the family home of the suspect and a neighbour said: "There was a big commotion with all the police around and it caused some concern, especially as it was Christmas Day.

"The family keep themselves to themselves, like the rest of the estate, but we know there's a teenage lad who lives there with his mum and dad.

"The police didn't leave the estate until late at night. Everyone was wondering what was going on. We saw the Windsor story in the news but never thought our road would be at the centre of it."