I was there when Prince Charles was almost SHOT, I saw pile of bodies – it was terrifying, recalls royal legend
ROYAL legends have told how they saw a “pile of bodies” when the future King Charles was almost shot.
Prince Charles, as he was then known, was targeted by protester David Kang at an Australia Day speech in Sydney in 1994.
Kang, then 23, fired two blank shots from a starting pistol – but for a moment onlookers thought he had tried to kill Charles.
Veteran Sun royal snapper Arthur Edwards recounted the “terrifying” attack at our first ever Royal Exclusive show.
He was joined by former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond – who shared her own memories of the chilling scenes.
Arthur said: “I was walking back to start my pool – when you assembled to take photographs of an event.
“I heard these two shots go off – I ran around the front and saw a pile of bodies.
“I thought, my God, Charles is under that. I rushed up onto the stage and this policeman threw me right off.”
But Arthur said he glimpsed an unruffled Charles straightening his suit and cufflinks before the prince was bundled away.
Jennie added: “We’d all gone to get a transcript of an important speech he was going to make later that night.
“It was a bit of a boring event he was at and I thought I’d go back to the hotel and start doing a piece.
“I realised I’d left my handbag back with the cameraman so I ran back to get it.
“Then BANG – I thought ‘What’s happening?’ It was terrifying. I remember people rushing and photographers falling over.”
Kang planned the stunt as a protest against the treatment of desperate Cambodian refugees in Australian detention camps.
He jumped a fence and ran onto the stage – firing a shot at Charles as the prince walked towards the lectern.
The 23-year-old fired another shot before he crashed into the lectern and was tackled to the ground by cops.
Fifteen policemen and bodyguards piled onto Kang while the unhurt Charles was pulled off the stage.
Onlooker Ian Kiernan said Charles was “cool as a cucumber” throughout the stunt.
Charles’s senior personal protection officer Superintendent Colin Trimming was praised for throwing himself in front of the prince.
OUT WITH A KANG
Kang was found guilty of threatening unlawful violence and sentenced to 500 hours of community service.
He is now a successful barrister in Sydney and is married with two children.
In a 2005 interview, he said: “What happened 11 years ago was an extremely traumatic experience.
“I have certainly moved on in my life and now I have become a barrister here in Sydney.”
The pair spoke on our first Royal Exclusive Live show, which you can watch in the player above and on our YouTube channel.
The event was hosted on Friday in front of a live audience of more than 100 special guests.
MORE TAKEAWAYS FROM THE SHOW
MEGHAN Markle was also branded a 'diva' on the show, while Prince Harry was dubbed 'deplorable' for his book Spare.
Jennie Bond blasted: “He was a very silly boy to write Spare, it was deplorable and stupid. He’s done the blood letting, now we want to move on.”
Meanwhile the pair said Meghan couldn’t hack royal life in the same way Princess Kate can – and revealed she was ‘difficult’ with the media.
Sun legend Arthur also regaled memories of his royal tours with Charles and Diana – and implied Harry and Meghan may be putting on a show like they did before their marriage crumbled.
During the hour-long event, the royal experts also discussed the future of a slimmed-down monarchy, shared tales of behind-the-scenes encounters with key royals and opened up about Kate and Charles’ cancer battles.
You can watch the full Royal Exclusive Live show in the player above and on our YouTube channel.