In a major security breach at United Kingdom’s Windsor Castle, thieves broke into the royal estate on October 13, stealing two farm vehicles in the dead of night, Thames Valley Police have confirmed. The burglary occurred on Crown Estate land near the A308 in Windsor.
According to police, the incident happened at around 11:45 p.m., when two masked men scaled a 6-foot fence to access the property. The suspects then made off with a black Isuzu pick-up truck and a red quad bike, crashing through a security gate at Shaw Farm to flee the scene, The Sun reported. The damaged barrier has since required replacement.
The intruders appear to have had knowledge of the area and timings, with a source telling The Sun, “They would have to have known the vehicles were stored there before they broke in and known when was the best time to get and escape without being caught. So they must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while.”
Though Britain King Charles and Queen Camilla were not in residence during the break-in — Charles was in Scotland, and Camilla was reportedly at a spa in India — the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, were believed to be home at Adelaide Cottage, located just five minutes away from the crime scene, as per The Sun’s report. The couple’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were likely asleep when the thieves struck. Adelaide Cottage, the family’s residence since summer 2022, sits within the Windsor Castle grounds, the report stated.
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police stated, “Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area. No arrests have been made at this stage, and an investigation is ongoing.”
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When Jaswant Singh Chail Breached Windsor Castle In Bid To Assassinate Queen Elizabeth II
Security concerns at Windsor Castle have been heightened following past incidents, such as the alarming breach on Christmas Day 2021. On that occasion, Jaswant Singh Chail, then 19, climbed a fence armed with a crossbow, intent on assassinating Queen Elizabeth II. His attempt to call for help was ignored, though the late Queen was unharmed. Chail was sentenced to nine years in prison for treason in 2023.
CNN reported that Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have both declined to comment on the latest security breach, in line with their policy of not addressing security matters.
Armed police were removed from some areas of Windsor Castle’s perimeter due to a shortage of qualified officers and an attempt to calm tourists anxious about armed patrols, the report stated. Currently, armed officers only appear during high-profile events such as the Changing of the Guard ceremonies.
