Thieves broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle, one of King Charles’ properties. They stole two vehicles in a significant security lapse, police have confirmed. The incident occurred on October 13 but was only reported publicly on Sunday by The Sun. After that, Thames Valley Police confirmed details of the theft in a statement to CNN.
As per the police, the break-in was reported at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time (6:45 p.m. ET). The intruders gained access to a farm building on royal property and made off with a red quad bike and a black Isuzu pickup truck. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
According to The Sun, two masked individuals scaled a six-foot (1.83-meter) fence to enter the Crown Estate land. They allegedly used the stolen truck to smash through a security gate before fleeing the scene.
Windsor Castle, one of the residences of King Charles and Queen Camilla, was unoccupied by the royal couple during the reported burglary. At the time of the incident, Charles was in Scotland and did not return to London until the following day.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their three children, reside at Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom Grade II-listed home located within the grounds of Windsor Castle. It is likely they were at home on the night of the incident.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace both declined to comment on the matter, citing their policy of not discussing security issues.
As per PEOPLE, “A spokesperson for the local Thames Valley Police, which is in charge of security in the area, confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE: “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.”
