Royal target of alleged blackmail tape

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Authorities have named the two men accused of trying to blackmail a member of the British royal family.

Ian Strachan, aged 30, and Sean McGuigan, aged 40, are both due to appear at the Central Criminal Court, London, in December.

Scotland Yard confirmed to CNN Sunday that two men had been charged with trying to blackmail an unnamed member of the royal family. The men appeared behind closed doors at the City of Westminster magistrates' court, London, last month, each charged with one count of blackmail.

It has been reported in the British press that the men approached the royal household and suggested that they had video tape of a royal taking part in a sex act.

British newspapers have also said that the alleged blackmailers claimed to have tape of a royal aide snorting cocaine supplied by a member of the royal family.

It is reported that the police were then brought in and that a detective posed as a royal official during a meeting with the alleged blackmailers at a London hotel. Two suspects were then arrested.

British newspapers report that the men were demanding approximately $100,000 or £50,000 in exchange for not making the video public.

Buckingham Palace said this is a police matter and they cannot comment further.

The judge in this case has banned the media from publishing or broadcasting any information that would lead to the identification of the accused or the alleged victim. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Roger Clark contributed to this report.

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