THE QUEEN once came within whiskers of a breakdown after her son, Prince Charles, was targeted with a bomb, a royal expert has claimed. Her Majesty the Queen is preparing for a year full of events and celebrations to mark her extraordinary Platinum Jubilee milestone. Last month, she became Britain’s first ever monarch to reach 70 years on the throne.
From Diana, Princess of Wales to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, a new biography has revealed how the monarch has kept her cool through it all. One aspect of the book, however, shows how the Queen neared a “breakdown” after her son, Prince Charles, was targeted by terrorists while carrying out public duties in Wales.Reviewing Robert Hardman’s new book in the Daily Telegraph, Queen of Our Times, historian Jane Ridley recalled the incident.
It is a defiant feat given the turbulence the Royal Family has faced in recent decades, including tragedy, divorce, royals stepping down, not to mention the passing of her husband, Prince Philip. She wrote: “Prince Charles’s investiture at Caernarfon was a modern take on royal ceremonial designed by Snowdon, but it became a target for terrorist Welsh nationalists, and Prince Charles was lucky to escape a bomb. Hardman reveals how shattering this was for the Queen. For the first time she cancelled her engagements and came close to breakdown.”
The man behind the masterplan to disrupt Charles’ ceremony was John Jenkins, a former sergeant with the Army’s Dental Corp. In 1970, the ex-leader of Welsh paramilitary group Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC) was jailed for ten years. He later became a social worker and, according to his biographer Dr Wyn Thomas, died “peacefully” in his sleep at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in December 2020.
Mr Jenkins became involved in the plan to bomb Charles’ investiture the night before he was due to arrive. However, the device exploded unexpectedly, killing two members of the MAC in Abergele. The following day, two more bombs were planted in Caernarfon. One exploded in a police constable’s garden as a 21-gun salute was fired.
Another was planted near the castle but did not go off at the time it was supposed to. It was later found by a ten-year-old boy who was left seriously injured when it exploded. Dr Thomas said Mr Jenkins was a man of “fierce principle who suffered much for a cause he believed in, and for a country he loved dearly.” He was radicalised by the drowning of Tryweryn and the Aberfan disaster — an event which the Queen later admitted was one of the biggest regrets of her reign.
Penny Junor, a royal biographer, writing in her 2005 book, ‘The Firm’, revealed how memories of the accident, which saw 116 children and 28 adults die after the collapse of a colliery spoil tip, pained her. While Prince Philip visited the site the day after, and her brother-in-law, Lord Snowdon, who was of Welsh heritage, headed there early that next morning, the Queen delayed her visit, allegedly over fears that her presence would be a distraction to the rescue efforts.
As Ms Junor wrote: “The Queen is said to regret her delay in visiting Aberfan in 1966, recognising in hindsight that it was a mistake not to be there immediately to comfort the grieving and express her sorrow.” She added: “I suspect she regrets her instincts during that week after Diana’s death, too.”
Queen cancelled engagements and ‘came close to breakdown’ after plot against Charles
THE QUEEN once came within whiskers of a breakdown after her son, Prince Charles, was targeted with a bomb, a royal expert has claimed. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Her Majesty the Queen is preparing for a year full of events and celebrations to mark her extraordinary Platinum Jubilee milestone. Last month, she became Britain’s first ever monarch to reach 70 years on the throne. It is a defiant feat given the turbulence the Royal Family has faced in recent decades, including tragedy, divorce, royals stepping down, not to mention the passing of her husband, Prince Philip.
Kate Middleton and William broke royal tradition on St Patrick’s Day Camilla health fears as Duchess forced to pull out of event.From Diana, Princess of Wales to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, a new biography has revealed how the monarch has kept her cool through it all. One aspect of the book, however, shows how the Queen neared a “breakdown” after her son, Prince Charles, was targeted by terrorists while carrying out public duties in Wales.
Reviewing Robert Hardman’s new book in the Daily Telegraph, Queen of Our Times, historian Jane Ridley recalled the incident. She wrote: “Prince Charles’s investiture at Caernarfon was a modern take on royal ceremonial designed by Snowdon, but it became a target for terrorist Welsh nationalists, and Prince Charles was lucky to escape a bomb.
“Hardman reveals how shattering this was for the Queen. For the first time she cancelled her engagements and came close to breakdown.” The man behind the masterplan to disrupt Charles’ ceremony was John Jenkins, a former sergeant with the Army’s Dental Corp.
In 1970, the ex-leader of Welsh paramilitary group Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC) was jailed for ten years. He later became a social worker and, according to his biographer Dr Wyn Thomas, died “peacefully” in his sleep at Wrexham Maelor Hospital in December 2020.
However, the device exploded unexpectedly, killing two members of the MAC in Abergele. The following day, two more bombs were planted in Caernarfon. One exploded in a police constable’s garden as a 21-gun salute was fired. Another was planted near the castle but did not go off at the time it was supposed to.
It was later found by a ten-year-old boy who was left seriously injured when it exploded. Dr Thomas said Mr Jenkins was a man of “fierce principle who suffered much for a cause he believed in, and for a country he loved dearly.” He was radicalised by the drowning of Tryweryn and the Aberfan disaster — an event which the Queen later admitted was one of the biggest regrets of her reign.
Penny Junor, a royal biographer, writing in her 2005 book, ‘The Firm’, revealed how memories of the accident, which saw 116 children and 28 adults die after the collapse of a colliery spoil tip, pained her. While Prince Philip visited the site the day after, and her brother-in-law, Lord Snowdon, who was of Welsh heritage, headed there early that next morning, the Queen delayed her visit, allegedly over fears that her presence would be a distraction to the rescue efforts.
As Ms Junor wrote: “The Queen is said to regret her delay in visiting Aberfan in 1966, recognising in hindsight that it was a mistake not to be there immediately to comfort the grieving and express her sorrow.” She added: “I suspect she regrets her instincts during that week after Diana’s death, too.”
The Queen arrived at Aberfan eight days later to tour the site and speak with victims’ families. During The Crown’s dramatisation of the events, Prime Minister Harold Wilson is seen chastising her for her decision. But, photographs from the visit show the Queen with a solemn expression on her face, appearing rattled by the devastation of the spill.
