An assassin in the crowd with a gun must be the worst nightmare of the Queens Guards.
Having the Queen's guards armed with Halbards would not be out of place. They can easily be modified to be non lethal and be more effective than even a shotgun. The backside of a Halberd could be un sharpened and electrical contacts be mounted along the back side running to a 50 kv shocking device.
That way it can selectively reach out and take out one person in a crowd. The shock.alone would stop anyone from pulling a trigger for sixty seconds. The Habard can also have a flash-bang type explosive charge at the top to create a loud noise and a bright flash. The explosion can also eject a cloud of red pepper. If a Halberd was used the assassin could never get off an accurate shot.
The crowd would not be looking at the gunman as he pulled a gun, just the royal procession and then they would see that pole coming down on them and knock the gunman over to get out of the way, then the electrical shock would hopefully hit and stun the assassin for 60 seconds but in one quarter second the explosive would go off, the flash will blind him and the noise deafen him. Those two would disorient him but in only one more second he would be enveloped by the cloud of pepper and he won't do anything for another 20 minutes.
Run over by the crowd, half electrocuted, blinded repeatedly
by both a flash and pepper, deafened by an explosion and unable to breath without
coughing or even open his eyes he won't be permanently harmed and everyone else
will be safe. He will still be ambulatory although he will need someone to guide
him for a half an hour.
In the US Halberds could have easily prevented a number of presidential assassinations and assassination attempts.
The assassination attempt on President Reagan is a perfect example for illustrating how a Halberd could have prevented a near fatal shooting of the president and thwarted Hinkley from even wounding three others, one who is still paralyzed. The comprehensive information can be found here: http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/assassins/john_hinckley/2.html?sect=24
This attempt is more easy to illustrate than the other attempts since there are many photos available. The attempt could have been thwarted at least half way through if those police officers in the back ground had Halberd's.
Only the last one of six shots which were all fired within two seconds hit the president. The policeman tried their best to stop him, as they can be seen on the ground ten seconds later having taken the assassin down. However, it takes about three seconds to lean, then jump and then land on an assassin even if he is only three feet away. It takes 1-1.5 second to lean, extend your arms and drop a 6' Halberd down on a mans head as far as ten feet away. That means that Hinkley could have been in the rear of that crowd (about four people back) and the police officer on the right could have just reached across and over the crowd and hit him with a Halberd. Photos found here: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/photos/assassin.htm
Lincolns assassination could have been easily prevented.
The attempt on President Truman would not have cost the lives of a White House Policeman. The assassins would not have gotten nearly as close to their target as they did. http://americanhistory.about.com/library/prm/blpennsylvania1.htm .
President McKinley's assassination certainly could have been prevented since there were three secret service men within six feet of the assassin at all times and a forth ran from ten feet to within about four feet within the last seconds. http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/assassins/mckinley/5.html?sect=24
A person meeting royalty is probably the most dangerous type of situation that those who protect royalty ever face.
Here the assassin pretended he was going to shake the presidents hand, then he pushed the presidents hand out of the way and then pulled his .32 wrapped in a kerchief from his coat pocket. Haberd's within 6 to 10 feet could have easily stopped the assassination. Or two of them blocking the man until he showed his hand would have been perfect. With two Haberd's crossed at chest height in front of the president it takes less than one second to behead a man (OK, It's only an 80% beheading. Coming up from chest height, right under the jaw and over the top vertebrae a blade usually hangs up on the rear of the skull as it exits. OK, maybe that is an 85% beheading. In case you have to make a choice that is a nearly painless to go.).
Mr. Robert Kennedy's assassination could have been stopped.
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