New Delhi:
A 24-year-old woman, believed to be a maid at Buckingham Palace, was arrested by the police on suspicion of common assault, criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly.
The woman was arrested from a bar in central London’s Victoria, a short distance from the palace, on late Tuesday evening after a Christmas celebration turned violent, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
According to a report, the woman was on a night out with roughly 50 members of palace staff at the venue. She is believed to have aimed a punch at the manager and even smashed some glasses.
She allegedly continued to throw glasses even after the security at the venue tried to calm her down. “I’ve never seen one person get that crazy during a night out,” one witness said.
After being taken into custody, she spent the night in a police cell and was released roughly 24 hours later “having been given a penalty notice for disorder”.
The Buckingham Palace management said the matter was under investigation, adding that disciplinary action against her may follow.
“We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace…While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken,” a palace spokesperson told BBC.
The spokesperson added the post-reception drinks, which the staff members went on to at the bar, were informal and not arranged by the palace.
