It had already been an extremely tough year for Prince William and Kate Middleton following her devastating cancer diagnosis but, last week, it was revealed the couple had experienced yet another blow after suffering a huge security scare at Windsor Castle estate.
According to reports, masked raiders scaled a six-foot fence to steal vehicles including a pick-up truck and quad bike from Shaw Farm, which is located in the grounds of their family home, Adelaide Cottage. It’s understood that William and Kate, both 42, and their three children, George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis, were tucked up in bed when the raid took place just five minutes away.
Now, in the aftermath of the worrying scandal, insiders tell Closer that it’s left the Prince and Princess of Wales fearful of a threat to their family.
The source says, ‘William and Kate have been pretty shaken up, and it really reinforces the importance of being vigilant and protecting their family’s security at all times. It’s a huge concern that these raiders were able to scale the fence and make off with stolen vehicles, and the fact it happened when the Waleses were so close by and fast asleep was a big shock to process when they found out.
‘Like any parents, they’re constantly worrying about the welfare of their children. It’s by far their number one priority, so naturally, it’s frightening and extremely alarming that this happened in such close proximity.’
A police report read, ‘At around 11.45pm… 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 pickup 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 has been alleged that the raiders escaped Shaw Farm by breaking through the gate – understood to be William and Kate’s nearest exit to their home – with the stolen truck. Barriers were left so badly damaged that they had to be replaced. It had previously been reported that armed police officers had been removed from Windsor Castle’s two principal public entrances due to a shortage of qualified officers.
While armed police are believed to patrol the Windsor Castle grounds, insiders say that William - who moved into Adelaide Cottage with his family in September 2022 – is keeping a close eye on how the investigation is progressing.
Our source says, ‘It goes without saying that William will want to be fully informed with whatever measures are deemed necessary moving forward, to ensure all surrounding properties are adequately protected around the clock. Like William, Kate has every faith in the security team who protect the family but she says they can’t go on like this. It’s made her realise what could happen if eyes are taken off the ball and that protective measures need to be tightened.’
It’s not the first time that the royal family have been shaken by security scares. On Christmas Day in 2021, an intruder armed with a crossbow climbed a fence, claiming he wanted to kill the late Queen Elizabeth II. He was sentenced to nine years for treason. And back in February, a man was arrested on suspicion of trespass and detained under the Mental Health Act after he was found in the gardens outside the King’s Windsor Castle apartments.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has voiced his concerns for his family’s safety in the UK, making his position on returning to his home country clear after relocating to America with wife Meghan Markle in 2020.
The Duke of Sussex – who recently attended a solo school visit in Vancouver, while Meghan attended a launch party with friends in LA – said in July, ‘It's still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff to act on what they have read. And whether it's a knife or acid, whatever it is, these are things that are of genuine concern for me. It's one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.’
And with Harry, 40 – who is dad to Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, with Meghan, 43 – preparing to appeal a High Court decision that dismissed his challenge to the level of personal security he receives in the UK, the insider adds, ‘There is a tinge of annoyance that the Windsor Castle raid happened, because it does give the Sussexes ammunition to argue that the UK is not as safe as some may say it is.
‘This just feeds into Harry’s theory, and there’s a fear that the Sussexes could use this latest incident as part of their argument. But ultimately, what matters most to William and Kate is that everyone is safe and they’re just grateful for that more than anything else.’