On Leap Day, 29 February 1872, young Arthur O’Connor scaled the wall of Buckingham Palace, rushed Queen Victoria’s carriage, and became her sixth assailant. The illustration above, from the Penny Illustrated Paper, depicts the assault.
While I have never seen a more ghastly depiction of Queen Victoria herself than in this image, the illustrator has otherwise captured the details the assault fairly well. Sitting next to the Queen is her Lady-in-Waiting, Jane Churchill; across from her sits her son Prince Arthur, who has just knocked a rusty flintlock pistol from O’Connor’s hand. Next to Arthur is his brother, Prince Leopold. Falling upon a puny O’Connor from the left is John Brown, in full Highland garb. Assisting in the capture, most likely, is the Queen’s Equerry Lord Fitzroy. (As far as Victoria was concerned, no one assisted John Brown: he alone saved her; he alone deserved a medal—and he got one.)
Arthur O’Connor hoped to force the Queen to sign an edict freeing all Irish political prisoners; instead he was pummeled, arrested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to a year in jail and a whipping. No one recognized O’Connor’s greatness—besides O’Connor himself.
