PRINCE William is surely frightened by the Windsor security breach and will be asking questions, an expert claims.
The Sun’s veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards said the Waleses “must be quite worried” after masked raiders struck on the Windsor Castle estate.
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The Prince and Princess of Wales were believed to be in residence at the timeCredit: Getty
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Masked raiders struck on the Windsor Castle estateCredit: Alamy
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Fleeing thieves used a stolen truck to smash their way through a Windsor Castle security gateCredit: Doug Seeburg
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The Sun’s Arthur Edwards has covered the royals for nearly 50 yearsCredit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
As we exclusively reported this week, the two men scaled a 6ft fence at night to steal farm vehicles as William, wife Princess Kate and their kids slept at home nearby.
They then used a stolen truck to ram a security gate as they fled.
A source said: “They must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while.”
Mr Edwards – who has covered the Royal Family for nearly 50 years – told The Sun’s Royal Show yesterday the incident is “just incredible”.
He described the estate as “vast”, but added: “They must be quite worried. I bet they’ve been burning the midnight oil trying to sort that one out.
Mr Edwards, 84, said, on the other hand, “nothing’s perfect” in terms of the Firm’s security.
He referred to how intruder Michael Fagan broke into the late Queen’s bedroom at Buckingham Palace in 1982.
“That was all because events fell into place, one was going on duty, one was going off duty and he just walked into the room,” the photographer said. “It’s going to happen.”
But, nevertheless, he said the recent break-in was “frightening”, adding: “I’m sure William would have been quite concerned.”
Mr Edwards went on to say: “It is very important to keep the Royal Family safe and I imagine William probably had some questions to ask, but they just went for the vehicles, not to harm anybody.
“I imagine they wouldn’t have got too close to the house anyway.”
He added that “it’s very well-policed” with “so much security”.
The two masked men drove off in a pick-up and on a quad bike that were stored in a barn.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were not in residence.
But the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage with George, 11, Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Louis.
It is five minutes away and the family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate — the nearest exit to their home.
News of the break-in comes after The Sun on Sunday revealed armed police were removed from Windsor Castle’s two main public entrances, though gun cops are still thought to patrol the grounds.
RAID
The raiders struck at Shaw Farm, a working farm inside the castle’s security zone.
A source said: “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.”
William and Kate moved to the Cottage in the summer of 2022.
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 said to be down to a shortage of qualified officers.
It was also to soothe tourists nervous about gun-toting cops.
Armed police now appear only at the front of the castle at the Changing of The Guard ceremonies.
Last night 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.”
The King 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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William is thought to be concerned by the incidentCredit: Getty
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The royals, including the late Queen and Prince Philip, at WindsorCredit: Getty
