Two masked burglars breached Windsor Castle estate’s security perimeter on October 13, breaking into a farm building just minutes from where the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children slept, authorities confirmed.
The intruders scaled a six-foot fence at Shaw Farm around 11:45 PM before stealing a black Isuzu pickup truck and a red quad bike, Thames Valley Police reported. The thieves then used the stolen vehicle to crash through a security barrier at a gated exit near the Wales family residence.
“They must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while,” a source told The Sun, noting the burglars seemed to know both the location of the vehicles and optimal timing for the break-in.
The damaged gate, which requires replacement, is reportedly the closest exit to Adelaide Cottage, where Prince William and Kate Middleton moved with their children in 2022.
The break-in occurred after armed officers were recently removed from Windsor Castle’s public entrances due to staffing shortages, though security patrols continue on the grounds. While King Charles and Queen Camilla were away, the Wales family was reportedly asleep in their four-bedroom cottage just five minutes from the crime scene.
The security breach at Shaw Farm, historically significant as the starting point for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession, marks the most serious incident at Windsor since 2021, when Jaswant Singh Chail scaled the walls with a loaded crossbow on Christmas Day, intending to kill Queen Elizabeth II. He was later sentenced to nine years in prison.
The Royal family chose the more rural Windsor estate over Kensington Palace to give their children a different lifestyle. “They are such an outdoorsy family, London just wasn’t working for them anymore,” a source told People magazine. Their cottage, built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, sits a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle itself.
Thames Valley Police confirmed no arrests have been made as the investigation continues, with the suspects last seen heading toward the Old Windsor/Datchet area.