A man started a fire near to the gates of Buckingham Palace in a warped bid for an audience with King Charles III, a court has heard.
Christian Gheorghe, 31, set a pile of cardboard ablaze with a cigarette lighter before being bundled to the ground by Royal police officers.
The fire was quickly extinguished by police and firefighters, but still caused around £300 of damage to the “charred” wall, Southwark crown court heard.
Prosecutor Tom Broomfield said Gheorghe “told officers he wanted to see King Charles and said amongst other things ‘I am the Lord’.”
In his police interview, Gheorghe was asked why he went to Buckingham Palace and replied: “God must save the King.
“I was thinking the King is coming, and he would ask me what I am doing. Maybe he is waiting.”
Asked why he had started the fire, Gheorghe said: “I wanted to speak to the King and then go on my way. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
Gheorghe, who is homeless, said he had been drinking cider and whisky before being ejected from a pub.
“I thought the King would give me my property”, he added.
The court heard Gheorghe, who was born in Romania, suffers from a mental disorder with persistent delusions, and he had made three trips to Buckingham Palace prior to his arrest in a bid to speak to the King.
He has been held in a secure hospital since the incident, on December 20 last year, and appeared in court for sentencing via videolink on Thursday.
Passing sentence, Judge Peter Rook imposed an order that he be detained in hospital for continued mental health treatment.
“It appears that you were under a delusion that you owned a large amount of property throughout the world and you needed to speak with the King”, he said.
“You thought that by lighting that fire you would attract his attention and he would come and speak with you.”
King Charles III was not at home in Buckingham Palace at the time, and was instead hosting a pre-Christmas dinner for members of his family at Windsor Castle.
Footage of the incident was posted on social media shortly after the fire broke out, showing flames next to a wall with the iconic Royal residence in the background.
A police officer is seen bringing the man suspected of starting the fire to the ground in order to arrest him.
“Officers in the Royal and Specialist Protection unit noticed a fire between the north and centre gates of Buckingham Palace”, said Mr Broomfield.
“They made their way to where the fire was and saw Mr Gheorghe backing away from the fire.”
He said the fire was put out by an officer with a extinguisher from his car.
Gheorghe, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson.
He will only be released from the hospital once doctors believe he is safe to go free again.
