A major security breach occurred on the grounds of Windsor Castle last month. Thames Valley Police reported that masked thieves targeted a farm on the estate on October 13, stealing a black Isuzu pickup truck and a red quad bike. Investigations are still ongoing and no arrests have been made so far. The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were asleep in Adelaide Cottage on the property when the burglars climbed a six-foot fence, according to the authorities. As per The Sun , the perpetrators broke through the security barrier at the Shaw Farm Gate exit.
Major Windsor Castle security scare as masked men raid estate while William, Catherine, and their children sleep at home The decision to remove armed police from it and the other main entrance for the public and tradespeople was said to be down to a shortage of qualified… pic.twitter.com/nCwkX3ZSDc
— Jennifer Thetford-Kay (@JenKteach) November 17, 2024
Sources claimed, “They must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while…They would have known the vehicles were stored there before they broke in and knew the best time to get in and escape without being caught. There are alarms at Windsor Castle but the first time anyone knew there was a break-in was when they crashed through the security barrier at Shaw Farm Gate exit.” They added, “The barrier…needed to be replaced as it was so badly damaged.”
The breach was attributed to a shortage of trained officers. Additionally, armed personnel are presently only seen in the Changing of the Guard ceremony in front of the castle to soothe the public and tourists who get nervous with gun-holding cops. Refelecting on the same, an insider claimed, “Those on the gates feel like unprotected sitting ducks. Batons and Tasers are no match for armed terrorists.” While there are armed officers inside the castle perimeter, sources argued, “There still has to be visible high security to deter terrorists.”
Masked robbers scaled the walls of Windsor Castle, smashed through a security barrier and made off with two vehicles – just minutes from the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The daring night-time raid, which is being investigated by police, reportedly follows cutbacks… pic.twitter.com/GPAICJI2lg
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 18, 2024
The Shaw Farm Gate exit is one of the two main public entrances. It is the nearest exit to Wales’s home— only five minutes away. Both Prince William and Kate Middleton were believed to be at the Adelaide Cottage, on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Insiders claimed that since it was a Sunday night during a school week, the royal children were also present at the residence while the robbery was taking place. However, Queen Consort Camilla was away visiting a spa in India, while King Charles III was in Scotland. The Palace is yet to comment on the incident.
The New York Times reports that this is the second breach on the castle grounds. The first one was more chilling as police apprehended Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, armed with a crossbow, dressed in black, and sporting a metal face mask. “I am here to kill the queen,” he allegedly told the authorities. Chail was sentenced to nine years in prison following a treason conviction in February 2023 making it Britain’s first in almost forty years. Chail, a supermarket worker at the time, scaled the castle walls with a nylon rope ladder and was in the grounds for two hours before officers confronted him with tasers.