SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane priest who spent the night in the barracks of troops who guard Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle will face no further action from UK officials, according to a report from the BBC.
The priest was in an apparent mental health crisis at the time.
The priest allegedly entered the castle on April 27, 2021, by claiming he knew the battalion's padre, according to the Ministry of Defence. He then ate and drank with senior officials before spending the night in the barracks of troops who guard Queen Elizabeth. He was given breakfast the next morning before any concerns were raised.
The queen was not present while the priest was at Windsor Castle, according to
It was originally reported by the BBC that the man was pretending to be a priest, but KREM 2 confirmed the man is in fact a priest at the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.
Thames Valley Police officers responded to Windsor Castle and removed the man from the barracks, but a police spokesperson later said no further action was taken and he was not detained under the Mental Health Act. The priest was having an apparent mental health crisis at the time.
The Army is still investigating how he got past security.
"The Army takes this breach of security extremely seriously and it will be thoroughly investigated as a matter of priority," an Army spokesperson said to BBC. "This incident is now part of an ongoing investigation and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
Father Darrin Connall sent KREM 2 the following statement regarding the priest:
"[The priest] is currently back in Spokane from London and under court-ordered medical care. We are cooperating with a team of health care professionals who are committed to getting him the help he needs."