Australian republicans tried to assassinate Queen in Lithgow (1970)

The Daily Telegraph ^ | January 28, 2009

[nickcarraway]

AUSTRALIAN republicans hatched a plot to assassinate the Queen - in LITHGOW - when she visited the country almost 40 years ago.

A retired police detective revealed to the Lithgow Mercury and London’s Daily Mail that details of the conspiracy were kept quiet so as not to embarrass the Australian government at the time.

Former Detective Superintendent Cliff McHardy has sensationally claimed the Queen and Prince Philip were travelling across the Blue Mountains towards Orange on April 29 1970 when plotters attempted to derail their train.

The now retired 81-year-old police officer claimed a wooden log was placed on the railway tracks ahead of the monarch's train but failed when it simply wedged under the wheels and slowed the train down until it eventually stopped at a crossing.

Mr McHardy, who now lives in Glenbrook, said he decided to break his long silence on the case to prompt people to come forward and own up.

It is understood there is no record of the alleged event but the report by the former Lithgow police station chief caused a wild frenzy with the British Fleet Street press inundating Buckingham Palace with demands for details.

A spokeswoman for the Palace this morning declined to comment.

"We are not commenting on an alleged plot that happened 40 years ago," the spokeswoman said.

It is believed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh remain oblivious to the alleged assassination attempt to this day. There is no official report of the incident in the UK or Australia.

Mr McHardy said the Federal Government of the day ordered the gag on the attempt to derail what was a successful.

SNIP

He said detectives at the time interviewed a number of people including railway workers and known Australian IRA sympathisers but no arrests were ever made.

[americanophile]

thing of the good works they would have erased had she not lived, like...

uh...

um...

ah...

[Larry Lucido]

Damned Republicans!

[ClearCase_guy]

[buccaneer81]

thing of the good works they would have erased had she not lived, like...

Keeping nutball Bonnie Prince Charlie off the throne. For that reason alone, I hope Liz lives as long as her mom did.

[americanophile]

...she raised him.

[a fool in paradise]

This single would not have come out in 1977

[AxelPaulsenJr]

thing of the good works they would have erased had she not lived, like...

uh...

um...

ah...

Wow, I'm speechless.

[dfwgator]

thing of the good works they would have erased had she not lived, like... uh... um... ah...

'cos tourists are money!

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Bush’s fault.

[americanophile]

Yes, it’s a thin resume of achievement

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Your’s apparently is a thick resume of jealousy, get over it.

[americanophile]

Jealousy??? How do you figure?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Your apparent need to attack the woman must come from something.

[americanophile]

Well, it was a joke, but I assure you it doesn't come from jealousy. If anything, it comes from a lack or reverence both for hereditary monarchy, and from a realization that despite being one of the most famous, well-positioned, financially capable, and potentially influential people in the world, HM has spent the last 50 years sipping tea, and shuttling back and forth between Buckingham and Holyrood clutching her little purse. This woman had enormous potential to be a force for good in the world. Where was her leadership on anything significant from humanitarian work to the promotion of western ideals, Christianity, etc? Despite being the head of the Church of England she has sat silent while the church has been torn apart by people like Rowan Williams, though she could dismiss him at will. Mohammad is now the most popular name in Britain. The Mosque of England has more daily worshipers than the Church of England. Think how radically different England is than it was under her first prime minister, Winston Churchill. The UK is a shadow of its former glory and she has presided over its decline. No, it's not all her fault, but it doesn't excuse her from doing NOTHING. She had so much potential, and did so little in my estimation. Of course, we have her greatest achievement, Charles, with his 'fondness for Islam,' and bird-brained adherence to every form of enviro-paranoia. If all Britain wanted was someone to wear a crown and parade around, they could have used an actor. So forgive my irreverence, I don't admire her record of stewardship or her wasted reign.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Ok.