King Charles and Queen Camilla's security detail in Sydney captured in photos

During royal visits, thousands of people are gathered in the same place in hopes of catching a glimpse of the most famous family in the UK. Sometimes, massive crowds can be scary and dangerous, as they are harder to monitor for threats.

In the photos of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Sydney, a few royal fans have pointed out a rather scary detail that many may have not picked up at first glance. A detail that can make many people feel uneasy.

King Charles and Queen Camilla followed by snipers

King Charles and Queen Camilla embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand after the summer. On 23 October 2024, the couple was visiting the iconic Sydney Opera House, and meeting the 10,000 excited Aussies who had come for the occasion.

Photos of them with their excited fans have been plastered all across the internet, but many missed the men-in-black standing in the background. Indeed, while the couple was outside the Opera House, two sharpshooters, also known as snipers, were on the roof of the building.

The snipers, both appearing to be men, were positioned at a high altitude, and they were dressed in black, from head-to-toe. They also wore a scarf to cover half their faces, as well as a cap and sunglasses. While their presence may have been a surprise to some, this is not the first time snipers have accompanied the King on his official visits.

They were already seen in March 2023, while the royal was visiting the Brandenberg Bridge, in Germany. Earlier this month, the sharpshooters were also seen while King Charles and Queen Camilla were visiting the Australian capital of Canberra.

A police helicopter was also seen flying over the couple when they came out of the Sydney Opera House.

King Charles was shot at 30 years ago

One possible reason as to why the King has chosen to reinforce his security detail, to the point of getting snipers to follow him around and protect him of potential threats, is because he has already been shot at in Australia. Thirty years ago, as the then-Prince was walking up the stage to deliver a speech in Sydney, a man ran up to him and shot in his direction.

The 45-year-old Prince remained 'cool as a cucumber' as a 23-year-old student, David Kang, fired two shots at him with a starting pistol, meaning the bullets were blanks. However, this was not known at the time, and many observers praised the Prince's coolness when faced with a stressful situation such as being shot at.

The future King became the talk of the ton, as he was seen remaining extremely calm, almost unbothered, by someone shooting at him. An Internet user wrote:

It's like when someone honks at you.

Another one wrote:

I understand the gun was firing blanks, but nobody knew that at the time, the reactions would have been the same... Tbf to Charles, he was cool as a cucumber that day.

The man who shot at Prince Charles in 1994, David Kang, was immediately tackled to the ground by the Prince's security entourage.

To explain his attack, he said he was protesting against the inaction of the British government, who did not react to Cambodian asylum seekers being held in detention camps in Australia. David Kang was arrested, and he was later found guilty of unlawful violence. He was sentenced to 500 hours of community service, which he did in full, before moving on to become a barrister today.

Read more:

King Charles and Camilla evacuated from Jersey event after security scare: Witnesses recount what happened

King Charles: Daily Mail says security 'on red alert' in Australia due to man who claims to be his 'secret son'

King Charles' security on high alert over protests that could interrupt 'second coronation' in Scotland

Sources used:

Daily Mail: Photo exposes what everyone missed in King Charles' Opera House visit in Sydney

People: King Charles Was Shot at by 23-Year-Old Student 30 Years Ago Today in Shocking Incident

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