The Queen’s Guard have been warned about the threat to kidnap and murder one of their number by glory-seeking Isis terrorists
Soldiers guarding key Royal palaces are on high alert over a Lee Rigby-style murder plot by Islamic State fanatics.
The Queen’s Guard have been warned about the threat to kidnap and murder one of their number by glory-seeking Isis terrorists.
Guards at St James’s Palace and Clarence House are now deployed behind fences and rails amid concerns about a lone gunman, suicide bomber or knife-wielding assassin.
Troops will stay out in the open on Horse Guards Parade as the defiant Queen insists on maintaining tradition.
But now they have a guard of their own – as specialist armed officers discreetly back them up
as they stand in ceremonial uniform.
as they stand in ceremonial uniform.
A senior source said: “Intelligence picked up (internet) chatter which is being taken seriously. Isis know it would be very difficult to attack a member of the Royal family, but one of the Queen’s Guard would be a huge target for them.
“Action has been taken accordingly. The threat is so acute some guards have already been moved.
“However, Her Majesty is very keen to ensure guards remain public facing, albeit behind fences. She does not want to be seen to be cowed by terrorists.”
One of the iconic sentry boxes outside Clarence House stood empty as troops were positioned inside the grounds in fenced-off Friary Court.
A source at Clarence House told the Sunday Mirror: “You can see that some of the guards have already moved to different positions.”
Until now troops have stood on guard on the public road outside Clarence House, the official London residence of Prince Charles and wife Camilla, and neighbouring St James’s Palace where Princes William and Harry have their office.
At Horse Guards Parade ceremonial soldiers will remain in their sentry boxes but will be backed up by a new rapid response unit.
The shake-up does not affect Buckingham Palace, as guards there are already behind railings.
Neither Clarence House nor the Ministry of Defence would comment on the changes to the guards’ positions.
But an MoD source said: “We are always reviewing security. The security of the Royal family is of the utmost importance at all times.”
The move follows a credible threat of a “lone wolf” attack like that which claimed 25-year-old Drummer Lee Rigby’s life in Woolwich, south east London last year.
Insiders said there are fears of a copycat strike after a soldier was shot dead guarding a war memorial in Canada’s capital Ottawa in October.
Gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, an Islamic convert, killed the soldier then stormed the country’s parliament before he was killed in a firefight with guards.
UK Security is at its highest level since after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.
Home Secretary Theresa May raised the threat from “substantial” to “severe” – the second-highest level – in August because of the danger posed by Isis and al-Qaeda fanatics.
Terror target Clarence House was the venue for Prince Harry’s 30th birthday party in September, where he celebrated alongside stars including singer Ellie Goulding.
Ceremonial guards are thought to have been posted outside the building since it was built in 1827.
The Queen moved into Clarence House in 1947 after she married Prince Philip.
It then became the London home of the Queen Mother from 1953 until her death in 2002.
St James’s Palace is home to state apartments used for entertaining during state visits. It is guarded daily by the St James’s Detachment of The Queen’s Guard.
Horse Guards Parade, in Whitehall, is the site of the Queen’s birthday ceremony Trooping the Colour.
Prince Charles reportedly raised concerns over a shake-up of Royal protection in August last year.
Under the move Royals were to be watched by general members of Scotland Yard’s elite SO14 squad — instead of dedicated back-up officers.
Charles expressed concerns to Scotland Yard’s Assistant Commissioner, although the move was not blocked.
Last month four suspected Islamic fanatics were arrested over a feared jihadist plot against the Royal Family on Remembrance Sunday.
There was unprecedented security at the Cenotaph in Whitehall as the Queen laid a wreath.
The Queen’s Guard are fully trained soldiers who have typically served in Afghanistan. They stand on sentry duty for two hours at a time.
Soldier Lee Rigby was beheaded near the Royal Artillery barracks in Woolwich, south east London in May last year.
His killers, Islamic fanatics Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were jailed for life in February.
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