Masked burglars raid Windsor estate while William, Kate and kids slept

A frightening incident

Two men scaled the fence of Windsor Castle after trying to break through a security gate while Prince William and his family were asleep in a nearby cottage.

The thieves went on to steal farm vehicles from Shaw Farm, a working farm on the Royal estate before they crashed while fleeing.

It comes after it was revealed armed police were removed from the castle’s two public entrances.

A source told The Sun: "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.

"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 source confirmed the barrier has had to be replaced due to the damage.

The royal couple live in Adelaide Cottage, which is on Windsor Estate.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said in a statement: "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."

It's not the first time that security at Windsor Castle has been breached.

In 2021, a crossbow-wielding intruder stormed the castle in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth.

Last year, the Metro revealed that several declassified files showed a 'large number' of security scares at the Royal residence which date back to the 60s.