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Airspace restricted above queen’s castle in UK

Effective Jan 27, no aircraft can enter airspace up to 2,500 feet (760m) above the castle within a radius of 1.25 nautical miles without special permission.

AFP
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II watches a military ceremony to mark her official birthday at Windsor Castle on June 12, 2021 in Windsor. Photo: AFP
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II watches a military ceremony to mark her official birthday at Windsor Castle on June 12, 2021 in Windsor. Photo: AFP

UK police said Tuesday they were imposing a no-fly zone above Windsor Castle, one of Queen Elizabeth II’s primary residences, after a security review.

The announcement came after a 19-year-old man was arrested for breaking into the castle grounds armed with a crossbow on Christmas Day, as the monarch was spending a low-key festive season at Windsor.

The region’s Thames Valley Police force said that effective Jan 27, no aircraft can enter airspace up to 2,500 feet (760m) above the castle within a radius of 1.25 nautical miles without special permission.

“This order is an additional method to keep the community living near to this iconic location safe,” the force said in a statement.

Windsor Castle lies west of London, near Britain’s busiest airport at Heathrow.

The queen, 95, usually celebrates Christmas at her Sandringham estate in eastern England, but she remained at Windsor Castle this time after the trip was cancelled owing to a surge in Omicron Covid infections.

The teenager was arrested on suspicion of breach or trespass of a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon. He was detained under the Mental Health Act.

Queen Elizabeth – already Britain’s longest-reigning monarch – is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this year to mark 70 years since her accession to the throne in 1952.

She was forced to cut back on public appearances after a health scare in October, which saw her spend a night in hospital.