Death of Elizabeth II: The man who approached the Queen’s coffin did not believe she was dead.

A 28-year-old man arrested at Westminster Hall approached Elizabeth II’s coffin and wanted to check if she was really dead as Britons showed up to pay their last respects, the judge before him said. On Tuesday.

On Friday, he stood in long queues through London to access the remains of the sovereign, who died on September 8 at the age of 96. As soon as he entered Westminster Hall, where she lay, he left the carpet in the direction of the catafalque, and seized with both hands a cloth which covered the coffin.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday on two charges of disturbing the public order after being quickly arrested by police. Judge Michael Snow pointed out that the defendant “suffers from delusions and thinks the Queen is not dead”. “He thinks King Charles has something to do with it and he might go to Windsor Castle to pay his respects to him, but he thinks he’s still alive.”

The judge did not ask the young man any questions because the doctors deemed him unfit to participate in the proceedings. He confirmed his name, date of birth, address and intervened once.

“The defendant said the Queen was not dead and that he approached the coffin because he wanted to check on himself,” said Luke Staton, prosecuting. “She said she wanted to go to the funeral,” he added, adding, “I plan to write to the Royal Family and if they don’t respond, I plan to visit Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Balmoral to try and talk to the Queen”.

“I had to break in to try to communicate,” the teenager told the court, adding that he would have tried as long as he was alive. He was released on bail on condition that he remain in a mental hospital in east London until he reappears at the same court on October 18.