Anti-royalist wanted to hurl manure at Prince Charles and Camilla

An elderly anti-royalist in New Zealand planned to hurl manure at Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla during their visit to Auckland, he said in court on Tuesday.

Sam Bracanov, 74, pleaded not guilty to preparing to commit an assault but outside the court he said that he had purchased horse manure and mixed it with water so it became like porridge, intending to throw it at the British heir to the throne.

“I would have done it,” he said, while addressing reporters sitting on an upturned rubbish bin.

He said the plan was a protest at Charles’ privileged position.

“He didn’t qualify with his brain. He qualified with his body, and what [the] body produce[s] goes to the toilet, so I would hit him with what goes to the toilet,” he said.

Bracanov, described by police as “a known anti-royalist”, was arrested on Monday shortly before the royal couple met crowds on the Auckland waterfront as part of a tour to mark Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee.

Police said he was detained before Charles and Camilla arrived at the venue.