Article Figures & Data
Tables
Case Year Name Age Attack Psychiatric Status Disposal 1 1778 Rebecca O'Hara 30s Knife attack as George III alighted from carriage at St. James' Palace Delusional conviction that she was true queen Committed to Bedlam, where she remained deluded 2 1786 Margaret Nicholson 45 years Attempted to stab George III as he entered St. James' Palace Chronic petitioner; delusional beliefs Committed to Bedlam, where she remained deluded until her death in 1828 3 1790 John Frith 30 years Threw a stone at the royal carriage At trial, gave a delusional account of his motivation for attack Found unfit to plead and committed to an asylum 4 1800 James Hadfield 29 years Shot at George III in Drury Lane Theatre Had serious head injury sustained while a soldier in the recent war with France; a postmortem many years later revealed extensive damage to the nondominant frontal temporal area; deluded Found insane and committed to Bedlam, where he remained actively psychotic 5 1801 Catherine Kirby ? Threw stones at George III in the street Considered too insane to be tried; deluded Committed permanently to Bedlam 6 1801 Urban Metcalf 25 years Attacked George III with knife at the theatre A six-year history of periods of psychotic excitement (probably manic) interspersed with relative normality; deluded In and out of Bedlam until finally and permanently committed to York asylum in 1822 7 1832 Dennis Collins 60 years Threw flint at William IV at the Ascot Races Insanity plea based only on counsel's assertion of melancholy; rejected Transportation to Australia 8 1840 Edward Oxford 18 years Fired twice at Queen Victoria's carriage in London Insanity plea based mainly on evidence from family; found insane Transferred to Bedlam, but showed no subsequent signs of insanity; released, and emigrated to Australia where he had a successful career as a writer 9 1842 John Francis 19 years Attempted to shoot at Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the royal carriage Unhappy, socially isolated youth expressing anger at world in general; no psychiatric disorder found. Guilty verdict; transported to Australia 10 1842 John Bean 18 years Tried to fire a defective gun at Queen Victoria's carriage Distressed, isolated youth with antimonarchy sentiments; said he was tired of life and wished for death; no psychotic features Guilty verdict; imprisoned 11 1849 William Hamilton 17 years Fired on Queen Victoria's carriage Unemployed, recent immigrant from Ireland; isolated, desperate; no psychotic features Guilty verdict; transported 12 1850 Robert Pate 30 years Struck Queen Victoria with a brass-topped cane while she was in her carriage Pleaded insanity, supported by evidence from two leading psychiatrists with no opposing evidence; despite this, found guilty Transported to Australia 13 1868 Henry James O'Farrell 35 years Shot Queen Victoria's son in the back at the Grand Picnic in Sydney, Australia Trained for priesthood but became increasingly odd and withdrawn. Said to have developed “religious mania”17,18; diary discovered after the attack described as a “jumble of clearly lunatic ravings”; not psychiatrically evaluated (probably due to political interference) Found guilty and executed 14 1872 Arthur O'Connor 17 years Entered the grounds of Buckingham Palace and pointed a gun at Queen Victoria Insanity defense supported by several eminent psychiatrists, but O'Connor sabotaged their attempt by pleading guilty; deluded Transported to Australia, but returned and again attempted to enter Buckingham Palace; this time committed permanently to Hanwell Asylum as deluded and insane 15 1882 Roderick Maclean 28 years Fired a pistol at Queen Victoria as she sat in her carriage at Windsor Station Prior history of admissions to lunatic asylums; unanimous opinion of four psychiatrists who examined him after the attack was that he was deluded; found insane Committed to Broadmore Asylum for criminal lunatics 16 1936 Jerome Bannigam, aka Patrick McMahon 34 years Raised a loaded revolver at Edward VIII who was riding in royal procession after trooping of the colours Habitually drifted ‘into a state of phantasy whence he emerges with his persecutory ideas woven into a tissue of malicious defamation of others.’ Not certifiable. Sentenced to 2 years' hard labor 17 1974 Ian Ball 20 years Attempted to kidnap Princess Anne; shot and seriously injured two protection officers and two bystanders who came to the aid of the princess Prior history of psychiatric disorder; deluded; diagnosed schizophrenia Committed to Broadmoor Hospital where he remains 18 1981 Marcus Sargeant 17 years Fired blanks at Queen Elizabeth on Horseguards' Parade at the trooping of the colours Discharged from army after 3 months; attempted unsuccessfully to join police and fire brigade; fascinated by previous assassinations; wanted to become famous; refused psychiatric evaluation Imprisoned; some years later committed to a psychiatric hospital; religious delusions 19 1986 Christopher John Lewis 17 years Fired a rifle at Queen Elizabeth on a visit to Dunedin in New Zealand Extremist right-wing views; history of offending; no psychiatric evaluation before trial Imprisoned; later transferred to secure psychiatric hospital; wrote an autobiography19; eventually committed suicide 20 1986 Alfred Adcock 57 years Indecently assaulted Diana Princess of Wales at a public function Long history of psychiatric admissions; deluded; diagnosed schizophrenia Committed to secure psychiatric hospital 21 1990 Henearoachuca Tepou 27 years Threw wet T-shirt at Queen Elizabeth on a visit to New Zealand Activist for Maori rights; no psychiatric disorder Noncustodial sentence 22 1994 David Kang 23 years Fired starting pistol at Charles, Prince of Wales, on visit to Australia Activist for refugee's rights; history of treatment for depressive illness; hoped to be shot by police Guilty; noncustodial sentence 23 1994 Castilav Bracanov 58 years Sprayed Prince Charles with an aerosol on New Zealand visit Antiroyalist; eccentric, but not psychotic Noncustodial sentence Details of the psychiatric status of the attackers and their eventual disposal. There is sufficient information to regard the attackers as psychotic at the time of 11 incidents (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20). There is a history of psychiatric disorder characterized by delusional ideas, either before or subsequent to the attack in a further two cases (13 and 18), although evidence for the attackers' state of mind when they attacked is absent. A further two cases (19 and 22) had received psychiatric treatment.
Pretender to throne 1 Rebecca O'Hara Asserted her right to the throne as the true queen 6 Urban Metcalf Believed he was king based on delusional genealogy; repeatedly attempted to enter royal palaces Politically motivated 8 Edward Oxford Led a secret society, Young England, dedicated to radical political change, though with few, if any, other members; assassination was to advance the society's aims 14 Roderick Maclean Wrote royalty were “bloated aristocrats” who robbed the poor; persecutory delusions mixed in with antiroyalist and leveler sentiments20 15 Henry O'Farrell Campaigned against local Archbishop, who he believed was persecuting him; also gave an account of being a member of a Fenian organization fighting for Irish freedom, although it is doubtful that any such group existed 19 Christopher Lewis Led a small group, the National Imperial Guerrilla Army, holding right-wing, antimonarchist, nationalist views19 21 Henearoachuca Tepou Attempted to publicize Maori grievances 22 David Kang Frustrated at authorities ignoring his campaign on behalf of refugees 23 Castilav Bracanov Long-time antiroyalist campaigner Petitioners 2 Margaret Nicholson Frustrated after not receiving any response to her multiple petitions to the king seeking her “rights” 3 John Frith Multiple petitions to parliament and the king around his construction of the constitution and Bill of Rights; the lack of response led to the attack 7 Dennis Collins Ex-sailor wounded in action who was pursuing a range of grievances against the Admiralty by repeated petitions; frustration at lack of response precipitated the attack The resentful 9 John Francis Resentful at the world in general and about the money wasted on royalty in particular 10 John Bean “Tired of life”; antimonarchist wanting attention and to express anger at the system; imitating Francis 16 Jerome Bannigam Resentful at his treatment by the government and the Home Secretary in particular 18 Marcus Sargeant Bitter about his failure and unemployment; wanted to make himself famous through the attack; military ambitions; interest in assassins Bizarre 4 James Hadfield Acted on God's instructions to kill the King so as to usher in the Second Coming 17 Ian Ball Attempted to kidnap Princess Anne for a complex mixture of reasons: wanted ransom (3 million pounds), wanted to publicize the plight of the working class, and wanted his parking fines to be excused 20 Alfred Adcock Sexual preoccupations with touching women (several convictions for indecent assault); fixated on Diana, erotomanic delusions From the attackers' statements before and after the events, it was possible to discern a motive in 19 of the cases. The motivations in some cases were mixed, but the predominant drives and intentions have been used for classification.
