Man Set Self On Fire And Dies Outside Kate Middleton And Prince William’s Home
A London man in his mid-40s was found dead after setting himself on fire outside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s London home, Kensington Palace. The Mirror shares as to the man’s state.
“The man had walked out of a central London hospital around three hours earlier after being admitted over concerns about his mental well-being.”
The local hospital reportedly called authorities around midnight after the man, who was a patient at the facility, went missing. The patient was later spotted acting suspiciously at the gates of the palace, so the police were called to the scene at around 3 a.m. When the authorities arrived, moments later, the man had already set himself on fire.
BBC News shares that the incident is not being treated as a terrorist act, and a spokesperson for the royals has shared that Kate and William were not at the palace when the incident occurred.
Us Weekly shares the details as to the state of the man and the time of death.
“The man, who was in his forties, was on fire by the time police arrived. Despite efforts from firefighters and medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at 3:42 a.m.”
Although Kensington Palace is a residence of the young royals, Kate and William have been known to spend most of their time at their country home, Anmer Hall, where they have been happily raising their two children — Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 9 months.
The incident comes just hours after Kate Middleton gave a powerful speech calling for a change in attitude in regards to mental health to mark the week which she is a strong advocate for- Children’s Mental Health Week. The Mirror reminds of the Duchess’ words of support for those struggling with mental health issues.
“Through my work in areas like addiction, I have seen time and again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood frequently stem from unresolved childhood issues. This needs to change.”
The Duchess’ focus was on drawing attention to the needs of children who display signs of mental health challenges so support can be given that results in a healthy-minded adult.
Watch Kate Middleton speak and show support for children struggling with mental health issues.
The publication shares the words of a Scotland Yard spokesperson reporting the entire chain of events in regards to the incident.
“Officers in Westminster were called by a central London hospital at 12.06am today after a man in their care had failed to return. Police carried out enquiries to trace this missing man at his home address and two associated addresses but the man, aged in his forties, was not present. Subsequently, police in Kensington and Chelsea were called to an area near the locked parks of Kensington Palace at 3.06am following reports of a man behaving suspiciously. Officers attended and found a man, believed to be aged in his forties, ablaze. At this early stage, no other persons are believed to be involved. This incident is not being treated as suspicious.”
Although Kate, William and their two little ones were not at the palace when the incident occurred, it is believed that William’s younger brother Prince Harry was staying on the property in his private cottage, Nottingham Cottage.
In addition to police arriving on the scene, the London Fire Brigade were also called to extinguish the man who was set ablaze. Later this morning, forensic teams joined the scene to investigate and determine additional details about the man’s state and death.
A tragic incident to begin the week that is so pertinent for bringing awareness to the struggles of those suffering from mental health issues. It is simply one more reason that attention must be paid to giving those with mental troubles the support and funding needed.
[Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]
