On 26 January 1994, the then Prince Charles of Wales experienced a tense moment when a young protester shot him with an empty gun during a public event in Sydney, Australia.
The Daily Mail recalls the composure and courage of Queen Elizabeth II’s son in the face of the attempted attack.
What was the attack on Prince Charles like?
Prince Charles was in Sydney’s Tumbalong Park to present awards to students on Australia Day, a public holiday.
A crowd of about 20,000 people were watching the event. Among them was David Kang, a 23-year-old Cambodian-born Australian carrying a starter pistol.
As Prince Charles was about to make his speech, Kang jumped on stage and fired two shots in the direction of the heir to the throne.
Fortunately, the shots were not real and did not hit the prince, who moved away slightly and showed a slight expression of surprise.
He then continued with his speech as if nothing had happened, while security officers overpowered the attacker and removed him from the scene.
From Memory:
A Failed Assassination Attempt on King Charles In Australia🇦🇺 In 1994 pic.twitter.com/V8jioA1SmH— The 13th ١٣📜🪶Warrior (@strange16892330) September 13, 2022
The Daily Mail notes that Charles’ reaction earned him the nickname “His Royal Coolness” for the way he remained calm in the face of the scare.
According to the paper, Kang later claimed his actions were intended to raise awareness of the plight of Cambodian refugees held in detention camps in Australia.
Kang was charged with threatening unlawful violence and sentenced to 500 hours of community service.
The incident could have been historic if Kang had fired royal bullets and killed Prince Charles. In that case, Prince William, who was only 11 at the time, would have become the Queen’s direct heir.
In 2015, Kang’s mother reported that her son, whom she described as a “good boy”, had married, had two children and was working as a lawyer in Sydney.