Man sets himself on fire outside Prince William and Kate Middleton home

A man has died after setting himself on fire outside Kensington Palace just hours after Kate Middleton delivered a powerful speech calling for a change in attitudes to mental health. The man, who is his 40s, is believed to have torched himself near the wall of the property - which is home to Prince William and Kate Middleton - at around 3am this morning.





The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two children are not currently staying there as they are in their Norfolk home Anmer Hall. Prince Harry is staying at Kensington Palace at the moment and it is believed he was asleep in his cottage Nottingham Cottage at the time of the incident. 


The man had walked out of a central London hospital around three hours earlier after being admitted over concerns about his mental well-being.






A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed the incident was not being treated as terror-related and the man's death is not being treated as suspicious.

He said:

 “Officers in Westminster were called by a central London hospital at 12.06am today after a man in their care had failed to return.





“Police carried out enquiries to trace this missing man at his home address and two associated addresses but the man, aged in his forties, was not present.





“Subsequently, police in Kensington and Chelsea were called to an area near the locked parks of Kensington Palace at 3.06am following reports of a man behaving suspiciously.

“Officers attended and found a man, believed to be aged in his forties, ablaze.



“At this early stage, no other persons are believed to be involved. This incident is not being treated as suspicious.”