Most royal watchers will recall images of the Queen travelling down the Mall from London’s Buckingham Palace by carriage as part of the Trooping the Colour procession.
But in earlier years, the Queen rode her own horse. And one year, it became clear just how exposed she was on horseback.
On June 13, 1981, the 55-year-old Queen Elizabeth II mounted her 19-year-old horse, Burmese, and headed down the Mall.
In the crowds lining the streets, a 17-year-old named Marcus Serjeant found a spot near the junction between The Mall and Horseguards Avenue.
When the Queen rode past, he fired six quick blank rounds from his starting pistol directly at the Queen.
The horse was startled by the sudden plunking sound, but the Queen managed to bring her under control, and neither was harmed.
