Windsor Castle estate raided as Kate Middleton, William reportedly slept nearby. Here’s what was stolen

Two masked men allegedly broke into Britain’s royal Windsor Castle estate last month as, reported by multiple news outlets, Kate Middleton and Prince William slept nearby.

The thieves struck at Shaw Farm, a working farm inside the castle’s security zone, reports the Reuters news agency. They used a stolen truck to smash through a security gate at night and then scale a six-foot fence.

King Charles and his wife Camilla were not at the estate but Prince William and his family were believed to be at Adelaide Cottage, part of the Windsor Castle estate. The prince and his family are regularly seen using the wrecked gate — the nearest exit to their home.

Local police said officers were called to investigate a burglary that occurred at the estate on Crown Estate before midnight on Oct. 13.

“Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Izuzu pickup and a red quad bike. They then made off towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area,” Thames Valley Police said. “No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”

“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,” a source told The Sun.

The large estate, west of London, includes working farms, conservation areas, Windsor Great Park and famous royal landmarks, such as Windsor Castle.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the incident.

The break-in coincides with the mid-October removal of armed police from the gate and the other main entrance for the public and tradespeople. It seems to have been attributed to a shortage of qualified officers. It was also meant to soothe tourists nervous about gun-toting cops, reports The Sun. Armed police now appear only at the front of the castle during the Changing of The Guard ceremonies.

However, Senior royals have their own police protection and there is no suggestion of any direct danger from the incident, reports the BBC.

There have been previous security incidents at the Windsor estate. On Christmas Day in 2021 an intruder was arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle. Jaswant Singh Chail, who had been armed with a crossbow, was later jailed for nine years.