Masked Men Break Into Windsor Castle; Smash Through Security Gate, Scale Fence, Steal 2 Vehicles

Last Updated:November 18, 2024, 19:02 IST

King Charles and Queen Camilla were not inside at the time of the incident but Prince William and his family were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage, which is part of the sprawling estate

This is not the first time Windsor Castle – the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world – has faced a security threat. (Image: @MarioNawfal/X)

You would assume that Windsor Castle would be among the most heavily guarded locations in the UK. But, not even this royal residence could withstand a security breach as two masked men reportedly broke into it and stole two vehicles from a barn last month.

And that, too, when the Prince and Princess of Wales – William and Catherine – along with their three children, were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage, which is part of the sprawling estate. King Charles and Queen Camilla, however, were not inside at the time of the incident, which was reported by the Sun newspaper on Monday. CNN said King Charles was in Scotland and did not return to London until the following day.

According to the Sun, the two men used a stolen truck to break through a security gate at night and then scaled a six-foot fence. Local police said officers were called to a report of a burglary on Crown Estate land in Windsor, west of London, just before midnight on October 13. They added that the burglary was reported around 11.45 pm (5.15 am IST the next day).

“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pickup and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area," Thames Valley Police said in an emailed statement. “No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment and told CNN it never comments on security matters, as did Kensington Palace. This is, however, not the first time Windsor Castle – the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world – has faced a security threat.

On Christmas Day in 2021, authorities had arrested a man with a crossbow in the grounds of the castle who said he had wanted to kill Queen Elizabeth, who was in residence at the time. She was unharmed, although the intrusion sparked serious questions about palace security, especially when it emerged that her repeated attempts to summon help were ignored. Jaswant Singh Chail, who was 19 when he attempted to kill the Queen, was sentenced to nine years in jail in 2023.

(With agency inputs)

London, United Kingdom (UK)

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