For 70 years, Queen Elizabeth held one of the most high-profile jobs in the world. While her time in the spotlight was filled with glitz and glamour, it also put her in considerable danger.
In 1970, Elizabeth and Prince Philip had a close call in Australia when their train encountered a log blocking the track. It was later determined that the log’s placement was intentional, rather than accidental.
A decade later, the 1980s were particularly difficult for the monarch, with multiple assassination attempts both at home and abroad.
In 1981, Elizabeth was shot at during her annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour. Fortunately, the blank cartridges didn’t harm the queen. She had another near-miss when visiting New Zealand that same year.
The 1980s were also fraught due to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Although the Provisional Irish Republican Army’s activities were centered in Northern Ireland, some of the conflict extended into England.
The royal family was also involved when Lord Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s uncle and Elizabeth’s distant cousin, was killed when I.R.A. bombs exploded on his boat in Ireland.
So as the queen and Prince Philip prepared to visit President Ronald Reagan in the U.S. in 1983, law enforcement were on the lookout for possible security risks.
And, according to FBI documents just released via the Freedom of Information Act, a threat was made prior to Elizabeth’s arrival, making them extra wary.
A threat doesn’t mean she was “nearly assassinated”.