Royal Family in Major Security Scare as Masked Thugs Break Into Estate — While Prince William, Kate Middleton and Their Three Children Slept
Masked thieves targeted estate when Prince William and Kate Middleton and their three children slept.
Nov. 18 2024, Published 7:20 a.m. ET
Windsor Castle has been struck by masked raiders while Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children slept in their home nearby.
RadarOnline.com can reveal two thieves scaled a 6ft fence at night to steal farm vehicles from the royal estate and smashed through security gates on the way out.
William and Kate's property is closeby to where vehicles were stolen.
A source said: "They must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while."
The two men stole a pick-up truck and quad bike and the thieves, as well as the vehicles, have yet to be tracked down.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage, located on the grounds, with George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis.
The property is situated closeby to where the vehicles were stolen and the family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate — the nearest exit to their home.
The Royals reguarly pass the security gates which were smashed.
The raiders struck at Shaw Farm, a working farm inside the castle's security zone.
The source told 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.
"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.
"The barrier has needed to be replaced as it was so badly damaged.
"It was a Sunday night on a school week so the young princes and princess would have been tucked in bed at Adelaide Cottage, just around the corner but still in the grounds."
Thieves scaled the 6ft fence around William and Kate's estate.
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The break-in comes amid reports armed police had been removed from Windsor Castle's two public entrances to "soothe tourists nervous about their presence".
During Queen Elizabeth's funeral, the procession to Windsor Castle began from the Shaw Farm gate.
The decision to remove armed police from it and the other main entrance for the public and tradespeople was also said to be down to a shortage of qualified officers.
Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte were sleeping at the time.
Armed police now appear only at the front of the castle at the Changing of The Guard ceremonies.
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police confirmed: "At around 11.45pm on Sunday October 13, we received a report of burglary at a property on Crown Estate land near to the A308 in Windsor.
"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."
King Charles and Camilla were not residing in the estate when the raid took place.
King Charles was in Scotland during the raid and it is believed Camilla was at a spa in India ahead of the couple's tour of Australia and Samoa.
A spokesman for the Prince and Princess of Wales declined to comment.
Previous Windsor Castle security scares include one on Christmas Day 2021, when an intruder armed with a crossbow climbed a fence and claimed he wanted to kill the Queen.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 23, was jailed for nine years for treason.
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