Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
King Charles, who’s recovering after prostate surgery in the London Clinic, could have died as prince 30 years ago today in shocking Sydney incident when a 23-year-old student fired two shots at him with a pistol.
The 75-year-old’s hospitalization fell on the 30th anniversary of the scary incident which left hearts in mouths all across the world, as many wondered what might have been.
The King was dubbed ‘His Royal Coolness’ for the way he stayed calm as he dusted himself down and continued his speech at Sydney’s Tumbalong Park where he was to mark Australia Day on January 26, 1994.
The Prince of Wales, then 45, was preparing to present prizes to schoolchildren a protester David Kang released the firearm, the Daily Mail reported. Kang hopped onto the stage and seemed to trip before being tackled, but he managed to come within just a few feet of the then-heir to the throne.
He was arrested before being found guilty of threatening unlawful violence and sentenced to 500 hours of community service. The attacker later said that he carried out the stunt to highlight the plight of Cambodian asylum seekers being held in detention camps in Australia.
Kang became a lawyer and has maintained that he did not intend to hurt anyone, according to the Morning Herald.
“What happened 11 years ago was an extremely traumatic experience and I have certainly moved on in my life and now I have become a barrister here in Sydney,” Kang told the outlet in an article published in January 2005.
Now, three decades after the shocking incident, King Charles is in hospital for the treatment of his prostate surgery.