A man set himself on fire and burned to death just yards from Kensington Palace early yesterday.
The man, who was in his forties, was found ablaze near the wall of the palace, which is the London address of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as home to other royals including Prince Harry.
Firemen and paramedics were called after police found the man shortly after 3am yesterday. Officers from the palace, who were first on the scene, made frantic efforts to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher and gave the man first aid.
Paramedics also tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene in Kensington Gardens. Police have not identified the man, who hours earlier had walked out of a central London hospital where he had been admitted amid concerns for his mental wellbeing.
Yesterday a police cordon was put up outside the palace’s orangerie. The Duke and Duchess were understood to be staying at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. They live at the palace with son Prince George and daughter Princess Charlotte.
Prince Harry lives in a property in the palace complex but it was not known if he was in residence.
Yesterday shocked tourists and locals were confronted with the grim scene. A fire extinguisher could be seen lying next to a police tent. Tourist Naomi Bridges, 30, from Australia, said: “It’s such a perfect park and to think that this has happened outside the palace is horrible. I love the royals and I am so sorry this has happened on their doorstep.”
Police said they were in the process of informing the man’s family.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “Officers in Westminster were called by a central London hospital at 6am yesterday after a man in their care had failed to return. Police carried out inquiries 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 ablaze.”
The spokesman added: “At this early stage, no other persons are believed to be involved. This incident is not being treated as suspicious.” He added it was not thought to have been an act of protest. Detectives are investigating the circumstances of the man’s admission to the central London hospital.
Kensington Palace accommodates the offices and private apartments of a number of members of the royal family. It is a working residence of historical importance and was used by successive sovereigns until 1760.
The palace, which was the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria, was also the home of Princess Diana, and the scene of extraordinary floral tributes at her death.
Other current Kensington Palace residents include Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Yesterday’s incident was referred to the Met’s directorate of professional standards as a matter of procedure.