Royal mix-up: UK police order prince to ID himself

Prince Andrew AFP File Photo

LONDON  — You might forgive Britain’s royal protection unit for being a little jittery.

Two days after an intruder was discovered prowling around Buckingham Palace, police confronted Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, in the royal residence’s garden and demanded he identify himself.

Wednesday’s embarrassing mix-up followed an even more embarrassing security breach Monday, when a suspected burglar was arrested after having scaled the fence around the palace.

The incident with Andrew was first reported by Britain’s Sunday Express tabloid. While London police acknowledged demanding the prince’s identity, they denied the paper’s assertion that Andrew was “held at gunpoint.”

In a statement released Sunday, police said “no weapons were drawn.”