Mystery of the royal ‘Bat shields’

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Apart from Ray-Ban sunglasses and squirly communications wires, the security bodyguards walking alongside King Philippe’s limousine on the royal procession seemed unduly encumbered by bulky briefcases. Speculation has been rife whether they were carrying their sandwiches for lunch (a long day in store), deodorant to counter the 30° temperatures or a change of clothing for the return trip.

The police have revealed that the security detail were carrying a new form of ‘Bat cloak’. In the event of an attack the briefcases transform into a bulletproof shield with which bodyguards can protect their Royal charges. Fortunately there was no need to deploy them though an extra sun shield could have been very useful.