In February 1983, Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip made their first official visit to the US that started in California. At the time, the queen visited San Diego before traveling to Los Angeles, where she met then-mayor Tom Bradley. In Santa Barbara, the queen met with the 40th American President, Ronald Reagan. She also visited cities San Francisco, Sacramento, Yosemite and Seattle.
But it has only now come to light that the trip could have very nearly ended in tragedy.
About a month before Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited California, a San Francisco policeman told the FBI that he knew of a man who wanted revenge for his daughter, who "had been killed in Northern Ireland by a rubber bullet." The policeman met than man at an Irish pub.
"He was going to attempt to harm Queen Elizabeth and would do this either by dropping some object off the Golden Gate Bridge onto the Royal Yacht Britannia when it sails underneath, or would attempt to kill Queen Elizabeth when she visited Yosemite National Park," the document reads.
It is unclear exactly what measures were taken at the time to ensure the safety of Elizabeth II, but what is known is the requirement to "close the walkways on the Golden Gate Bridge as the yacht nears," the British media noted.
The findings also highlighted an incident during America's Bicentennial celebrations in 1976, when the late queen was in New York City. A pilot flying a small plane over Battery Park carried a sign that read, "England, Get out of Ireland." The FBI issued a summons to the pilot in response to this provocative act.
The queen's family connections to the Irish unrest were also highlighted as the newly released report detailed how the FBI kept an eye on any potential threats against her life.
Elizabeth is described as having a fondness for Kentucky as the late monarch visited the state multiple times to enjoy equestrian events like the Kentucky Derby. During a state visit in 1991, she was scheduled to attend a Baltimore Orioles baseball game with President George H. Bush.
At the time, the FBI warned the Secret Service about planned protests by "Irish groups" at the stadium, revealing that one of these groups had reserved a large block of grandstand tickets. It was also pointed out that during her trips to Kentucky, agents acknowledged that IRA threats were "ever-present."
While the released documents provide valuable insights, it was indicated that additional records may exist. It's unclear when such additional files will be made public.