'Sniper threat' that saw King Charles and Queen Camilla ushered away during trip to Jersey was man on roof scaring away BIRDS

Daily Mail​

15-07-2025

A 'sniper threat' that saw King Charles and Queen Camilla whisked away during a trip to Jersey turned out to be a man on a roof scaring away birds.
The royal couple were chatting to locals in St Helier when they were ushered into a hotel amid fears for their safety.
Footage showed the Queen being directed away by security staff during the scary incident.
But Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hafey from the States of Jersey Police, who was in charge on the day, has now revealed the innocent truth of what happened.
'It was a false alarm, my understanding is someone was on a roof trying to scare some birds,' he told ITV News.
'I don't think you can overreact in those situations because the safety of the King and Queen is paramount, all the officers involved just followed their training.'
Mr Hafey said he was first made aware of the potential sniper threat by a colleague and had to act 'very quickly'.
'As a Firearms Commander, I'm acutely aware of what's involved but I was able to make sure my team responded to that and did exactly what was required, without creating too much fuss or public panic,' he added.
On the day, their Majesties were taken into the Pomme d'Or hotel for a brief period before coming back out to resume their public walkabout.
Despite the brief hiccup, Mr Hafey described the visit as one of the highlights of his career.
'It was an honour and a privilege, stressful at times, but you rely on the training that you've had and everyone worked together as a team,' he said.
At another point of the trip, the Queen was left in hysterics after two cows engaged in frisky behaviour during an agricultural exhibition.
The royal couldn't contain her laughter when one of the Jersey cows mounted the other in a pen just as she was viewing them.
She was with the King as they were being officially presented with the herd of seven milking heifers as a gift.
Camilla was leaning over to stroke one of the animals when another one mounted it.
Last week, the King and Queen played a key role during a state visit by French president Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain.
The royals were seen warmly greeting Mr Macron and First Lady Brigitte at Windsor Castle after a dazzling State Banquet the night before.
As the King and Mr Macron strolled through the South Garden of the centuries–old Royal residence, Mrs Macron was accompanied by the Queen as she visited grey gelding Fabuleu de Maucour.
The horse, previously a standard–bearer for France's Republican Guard, was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and was hailed by diplomats as 'epitomising French horse –breeding'.
Earlier, in a private period of the tour, Mr and Mrs Macron laid flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who was laid to rest at the King George VI Memorial Chapel within the castle's St George's Chapel.
Mr Macron had last night told Charles of France's 'real affection' for his late mother, adding that he believed the feeling was 'reciprocal'.
'She was your queen,' he said at the State Banquet. 'To us, she was the Queen.'