Posted on 06/22/2003 7:41:29 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
THE intruder at Prince William’s 21st party could have wiped out the Monarchy, Palace aides admitted last night.
Senior officials were horrified that crackpot comedian Aaron Barschak might have been a mad suicide bomber hellbent on carnage.
Virtually the entire Royal Family were put at risk by the breach of security at Windsor Castle.
Yesterday the Queen was said to be absolutely “livid” with police for allowing Barschak, who was dressed as terror chief Osama Bin Laden, to sneak into the party.
And Prince William told pals he was “furious” the gatecrashing incident had spoiled his big bash.
Barschak, a nutty stand-up comic desperate for publicity, conned his way into Windsor Castle at the height of the Saturday night party.
Security around the Royal Family is meant to be at its tightest as they are considered a prime terror target for al-Qa’ida fanatics.
Yet they woke up yesterday morning to the realisation they all could have been killed had the intruder been carrying a bomb.
A Royal source said: “This is being taken very, very seriously. If it had been a suicide bomber who got on stage he could have wiped out the Royals.
“It would have been the end of the Monarchy and we would have been picking up the pieces today.
“It is disgraceful that this man was able even to so much as get into the grounds of Windsor Castle.
“If he’d had a bomb, a gun or even a couple of knives he could have killed the Queen and the heirs to the throne.”
Yesterday tourists in Windsor, where the Queen lives at weekends, said she had a “face like thunder” as she was driven to church.
A Palace insider said: “The Queen is furious, as you would expect. “What makes it worse is that this was William’s big night and it took the gloss off the occasion. Heads will roll for this.”
As senior police and Palace advisers carry out an inquiry they will want to find out exactly why Barschak was allowed inside.
An early theory was that he scaled a wall. But later it emerged he talked his way through a rear tradesmen’s entrance manned by Royalty Protection Squad officers.
William, dressed in a Tarzan loincloth, had just started to thank Prince Charles and the Queen for organising the party when Barschak sprang forward onto the stage.
Sporting false beard and dressed in a salmon pink ballgown, white turban, red shoes and dark glasses, he grabbed the mike to gabble in a thick Arabic accent.
He started shouting, saying his name was “Osama” and other words few guests could make out.
William frantically signalled to guards to remove him and he was taken away in handcuffs.
Later he was driven from the Castle half-naked and holding up a book on Bin Laden at the window of a Land Rover Discovery.
William quickly recovered his composure, telling guests: “I didn’t know my brother could do an accent like that.”
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, the Duke of York and Princess Royal all witnessed the incident.
Prince Harry was also present with the Countess of Wessex and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
William, determined not to let the incident wreck his night completely, continued partying until 6am.
Barschak staged the stunt dressed up as a character he has invented called The Comedy Terrorist.
He changed into the get-up in the loos of The Highlander pub outside the Castle’s Henry VIII gate.
Landlord Ken Thomson, 54, said: “He came in wearing jeans and a casual shirt, bought a pint of lager and walked through to the toilets with a carrier bag.
“When he came out he had a fake beard, a turban-type thing on his head and a lady’s frock that he couldn’t get the zip done up on. He was naked underneath but for a weird hairy wig on his manhood.
“He stank of body odour, absolutely reeked, so we asked him to go and stand outside.
“All the lads started taking the p*** but he just said he had a party to go to. Obviously nobody thought for a minute it was at the Castle.”
Ken added: “How he managed to get in looking like that is beyond me. Someone is in a lot of trouble.”
Barschak has turned up the same guise, or in similar outlandish garb, at high-profile functions before.
He got on stage at a TV tribute to comic Spike Milligan attended by stars including Eddie Izzard. He also invaded the platform at an anti-war demo hosted by London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
And he even appeared at Ascot race week, where he cheekily hoisted a girl up in his arms.
Arrest ... Barschak in cuffs with Bin Laden book
Good line.
I think William needs a PR consultant, fast. Maybe the Toesucker could do the job. He's never going to make it back into the White House anyway.
William, dressed in a Tarzan loincloth, had just started to thank Prince Charles and the Queen for organising the party when Barschak sprang forward onto the stage.
I'm sure most Britons are pissed off the guy didn't blow up the joint.
I'm sure most Britons are pissed off the guy didn't blow up the joint.
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