Palace acts on queen 'terror risk'
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has appointed a security director after being warned in a report she could be at threat from terrorists.
Buckingham Palace announced the appointment of Brigadier Jeffrey Cook after a high-level commission told British Prime Minister Tony Blair that royal security should be tightened.
The royal security review was ordered after a newspaper reporter with false references worked for two months as a footman inside Buckingham Palace, the home of the British royal family.
The reporter, from the tabloid Daily Mirror, said he had access to royal private quarters and would have been employed serving food to U.S. President George W. Bush during his state visit in November 2003.
In another incident an alternative comedian dressed as Osama bin Laden managed to gatecrash Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle and mingle with guests.
The new royal security supremo should oversee an annual security plan and ensure wider checks on those applying for jobs or visiting royal palaces, the Security Commission had recommended in its report published Thursday.
The review, headed by Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a prominent judge, omitted "certain details" in the interest of British national security.
The report concluded that the most likely sources of insider threat to the royal family were from the press and individuals seeking to "test" security measures or to cause embarrassment.
However, any weaknesses that could be exploited by these groups could also be exploited by terrorists, the report acknowledged.
The review said there should be "a more coherent personnel security approach covering all royal households and not only permanent household staff but also guests, visitors and especially contracted staff."
The commission said Buckingham Palace's handling of Daily Mirror reporter, and "bogus footman" Ryan Parry's job application could be criticized in several minor respects.
"The case did not reveal basic deficiencies in how the royal household followed its established recruitment procedures ... Nevertheless, there were important lessons to be learned
"The main significance of the case was that it showed that existing procedures were not sufficient to expose a fraudulent and dishonest job application.
"This weakness could be exploited by terrorists or others to endanger the queen, her family and official guests -- and thus endanger national security."
Annual plan
Buckingham Palace said the royal security supremo would work with the police, Home Office and security services. He would produce an annual security plan.
A spokesman told the UK's Press Association: "The Royal Household welcomes the commission's findings and recommendations.
"It also welcomes the publication of the account of what the report describes as 'comprehensive and well documented procedures' in relation to the recruitment of Ryan Parry.
"The Royal Household accepts that there are lessons to be learnt from this case and has already tightened internal vetting procedures for all new recruits and has reviewed security measures more generally."
Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan told PA the queen would now be able to sleep easier at night thanks to the newspaper's investigation.
"I welcome this thorough overhaul of security surrounding the queen following our devastating expose," he said.
"Ryan Parry performed a valuable public service in highlighting how woefully lax the system was.
"Her Majesty may not have been overly delighted to discover a Mirror reporter was serving her breakfast and walking the corgis.
"But she can sleep easier tonight knowing that it will be an awful lot harder for anyone, be it Ryan Parry or a terrorist, to do it again thanks to our investigation."
