Startling details have emerged from a recently disclosed cache of FBI files, shedding light on a potential plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to California in 1983.

According to the documents, the alleged threat came to light following a phone call made by an individual who claimed that his daughter had fallen victim to a rubber bullet in Northern Ireland. The files also mentioned a bar known for attracting Irish Republican Army (IRA) sympathizers.

During February and March of 1983, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip embarked on a visit to the western coast of the United States, which fortunately concluded without incident. The 1979 assassination of Louis Mountbatten, an uncle of Prince Philip and the last colonial governor of India, by IRA paramilitaries opposing British rule in Northern Ireland, loomed in the background.

The file notes that the man who made the call expressed intentions to harm the queen, either by dropping an object off the Golden Gate Bridge onto the royal yacht Britannia as it sailed beneath or by targeting Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Yosemite National Park.

Another document from 1989 emphasized that while the FBI had no specific threats against the queen on record, the potential for threats from the IRA against the British monarchy remained ever-present.

It is worth noting that Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September at the age of 96, had reportedly faced previous assassination attempts. In 1970, suspected IRA sympathizers unsuccessfully sought to derail her train near Sydney, Australia. Additionally, in 1981, the IRA attempted to bomb her during a visit to Shetland, an island off the northeast coast of Scotland.

That same year, a mentally disturbed teenager fired a single shot toward the queen’s car while she was touring the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. The incident was kept under wraps by the police until 2018 when documents were released by New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS) in response to a media request.

In another security breach that gained widespread attention in 1982, Michael Fagan managed to enter the queen’s bedroom and engage in a ten-minute conversation with her before she could raise the alarm. The unemployed decorator, having consumed a few drinks, scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace, climbed a drainpipe, and found his way into the queen’s London residence. He sat on the edge of her bed, engaging in conversation until a palace staff member enticed him away with the promise of a shot of whisky.

These astonishing incidents serve as a testament to the security challenges faced by the royal family over the years, underscoring the importance of ongoing vigilance and protective measures.

YNaija