Buckingham Palace Break-In Leaves Two Arrested

A break-in at Buckingham Palace has led to two arrests and the launch of a full-scale security review. One man was arrested in a state room after he scaled a fence and broke in.

The 37-year-old was apparently discovered “in an area currently open to the public during the day” at 10:30 pm local time Monday.

The Guardian reports that the man was charged with burglary, trespass, and criminal damage. A second man was arrested outside the palace for conspiracy to commit burglary.

The security breach at Buckingham Palace is likely an embarrassment to police whose sole focus is royal security. Their focus has increased since Prince George’s birth in July.

The palace’s state rooms have been open to the public for the past 10 years during the months of August and September. But the intruder’s apparent ease of access to the palace was of concern.

Sky News notes that, while the Buckingham Palace breach was a concern, no members of the Royal Family were there at the time. Security will form part of the review as to what exactly happened.

Monday’s break-in is the most serious breach of security at the royal palace since 1982. That year, Michael Fagan made his way past guards and got inside the Queen’s private chambers while she was in bed.

After speaking with him for about 10 minutes, the Queen was able to raise the alarm when Fagan asked for a cigarette. She called a footman, who held the man in place until police arrived.

Royal officials insisted at the time that there would never be another security breach at Buckingham Palace following Fagan’s July 9, 1982 adventure. However, it appears they were wrong.

The security review will likely determine if there was anything that could have been done to stop the breach. The door the suspect used to enter will likely be made stronger. However, it is not likely the height of Buckingham Palace’s 19-foot fence will be made taller after the break-in.

[Image by David Iliff via Wikimedia Commons]