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{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
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'''The Lithgow Plot''' was a purported assassination attempt of Queen [[Elizabeth II]] on 29 April 1970 at [[Lithgow, New South Wales|Lithgow]], [[New South Wales]], while she was undertaking a royal tour of Australia. The Queen and [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|her husband]] were on a train trip from [[Sydney, New South Wales|Sydney]] to [[Orange, New South Wales|Orange]].
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
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'''The Lithgow Plot''' was a purported assassination attempt of Queen [[Elizabeth II]] on 29 April 1970 at [[Lithgow, New South Wales|Lithgow]], [[New South Wales]], while she was undertaking a royal tour of [[Australia]]. The Queen and her husband [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] were on a train trip from Sydney to [[Orange, New South Wales|Orange]]. The incident was first reported in January 2009.<ref name="ABC">[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-29/code-of-secrecy-kept-alleged-queen-assassination/276774 'Code of secrecy' kept alleged Queen assassination plot quiet], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC News]], 29 Jan 2009</ref>


==The plan==
==Incident==
The would-be [[assassins]] supposedly rolled a large wooden log onto the tracks when it was dark and wedged it into place. According to retired Detective Superintendent Cliff McHardy, it was meant to de-rail the train and, if it did, it would have smashed into an embankment. It failed because, at the time, the train was travelling unusually slowly when it struck the blockage, though it still slid for 700 metres before coming to a stop.
The would-be [[Assassination|assassins]] supposedly rolled a large wooden log onto the tracks when it was dark and wedged it into place. It was meant to de-rail the train and, if it did, it would have smashed into an embankment. It failed because, at the time, the train was travelling unusually slowly when it struck the blockage, though it still slid for 700 metres before coming to a stop. The royal couple were unaware of the attempt.


A train had been through an hour before the Queen's train to check the line but at that time it was clear.
A train had been through an hour before the Queen's train to check the line but at that time it was clear.<ref name=="Tele">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/4359649/Queen-and-Prince-Philip-were-victims-of-Australian-assassination-attempt.html Queen and Prince Philip were 'victims' of Australian assassination attempt], [[The Daily Telegraph]], 27 January 2009</ref>


Australian [[Irish Republican Army|IRA]] sympathisers were among the suspects,<ref name="SMH">[https://www.smh.com.au/national/revealed-the-aussie-plot-to-kill-the-queen-20090128-7rlo.html Revealed: the Aussie plot to kill the Queen], [[Sydney Morning Herald]], 28 January 2009</ref> but no one was ever charged.
==Unaware==
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The royal couple were unaware of the attempt, and according to McHardy the [[government of Australia]] told the local police to keep quiet about the incident. This purportedly hampered the investigation attempt because people interviewed either couldn't or wouldn't speak about what had taken place.


==Lack of coverage==
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In January 2009, McHardy gave the story to the ''[[Lithgow Mercury]]'' and ''[[The Daily Mail]]''. [[Buckingham Palace]] declined to comment on the issue but has said that a diary of the trip has shown no record of the train hitting a log.


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In January 2009, retired Detective Superintendent Cliff McHardy gave the story to the ''[[Lithgow Mercury]]''.<ref name="ABC" /> The story was corroborated by Lithgow Mercury editor Len Ashworth, who said that the decision to not publish the story in 1970 was due to "an arrangement with the police".<ref name="ABC" /> According to McHardy the [[government of Australia]] told the local police to keep quiet about the incident. This purportedly hampered the investigation attempt because people interviewed either couldn't or wouldn't speak about what had taken place.
{{Portal|1970s}}
==External links==
* [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1129724/Plot-kill-Queen-Australian-gang-tried-derail-royal-train.html The Daily Mail]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24973958-5001021,00.html The Australian Daily Telegraph]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/4359649/Queen-and-Prince-Philip-were-victims-of-Australian-assassination-attempt.html The British Daily Telegraph]
* [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2009/01/28/Queen_targeted_in_Australian_assassination_attempt LIVENEWS]
* [http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=2&ContentID=121291 The West Australian]


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In 2009, [[Buckingham Palace]] declined to comment on the issue but has said that a diary of the trip has shown no record of the train hitting a log. NSW Police's only comment was that they were "no longer actively investigating" the incident.<ref name="ABC" />
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{{Elizabeth II}}


==References==
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{{use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

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{{Use British English|date=August 2010}}
{{Reflist}}


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{{Elizabeth II}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Lithgow Plot}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lithgow Plot}}
[[Category:1970 in Australia]]
[[Category:1970 in Australia]]
[[Category:Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Assassination attempts]]
[[Category:Failed assassination attempts in Oceania]]

Latest revision as of 03:04, 27 February 2024

The Lithgow Plot was a purported assassination attempt of Queen Elizabeth II on 29 April 1970 at Lithgow, New South Wales, while she was undertaking a royal tour of Australia. The Queen and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were on a train trip from Sydney to Orange. The incident was first reported in January 2009.[1]

Incident

[edit]

The would-be assassins supposedly rolled a large wooden log onto the tracks when it was dark and wedged it into place. It was meant to de-rail the train and, if it did, it would have smashed into an embankment. It failed because, at the time, the train was travelling unusually slowly when it struck the blockage, though it still slid for 700 metres before coming to a stop. The royal couple were unaware of the attempt.

A train had been through an hour before the Queen's train to check the line but at that time it was clear.[2]

Australian IRA sympathisers were among the suspects,[3] but no one was ever charged.

Lack of coverage

[edit]

In January 2009, retired Detective Superintendent Cliff McHardy gave the story to the Lithgow Mercury.[1] The story was corroborated by Lithgow Mercury editor Len Ashworth, who said that the decision to not publish the story in 1970 was due to "an arrangement with the police".[1] According to McHardy the government of Australia told the local police to keep quiet about the incident. This purportedly hampered the investigation attempt because people interviewed either couldn't or wouldn't speak about what had taken place.

In 2009, Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the issue but has said that a diary of the trip has shown no record of the train hitting a log. NSW Police's only comment was that they were "no longer actively investigating" the incident.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d 'Code of secrecy' kept alleged Queen assassination plot quiet, ABC News, 29 Jan 2009
  2. ^ Queen and Prince Philip were 'victims' of Australian assassination attempt, The Daily Telegraph, 27 January 2009
  3. ^ Revealed: the Aussie plot to kill the Queen, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 January 2009


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