In a major security breach, Windsor Castle was broken into last month while Prince William, Princess Catherine, and their children slept nearby.

The break-in occurred on October 13, when masked men climbed a fence and stole a black Isuzu pickup truck and a red quad bike from a farm on the property.

No one has been arrested for the theft, and the investigation is ongoing.

The security breach was not detected until the thieves broke through the security barrier at the Shaw Farm Gate exit as they left the estate.

Armed officers removed

Sources said the barrier needed to be replaced because it was so badly damaged.

There was a shortage of trained officers on the property at the time of the breach, and the officers who were at the gates were not armed.

There has been criticism of the decision to remove the armed officers from public gates due to cutbacks.

Masked robbers scaled the walls of Windsor Castle, smashed through a security barrier and made off with two vehicles - just minutes from the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The daring night-time raid, which is being investigated by police, reportedly follows cutbacks… pic.twitter.com/GPAICJI2lg

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 18, 2024

Prince William and Princess Kate were at Adelaide Cottage when the burglary took place, along with their children.

King Charles III was in Scotland at the time, and Queen Consort Camilla was at a spa in India.

A previous breach

The last time the castle was breached was in February 2023, when Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, was arrested with a crossbow on the grounds.

Chail said he was there to kill the Queen, and he had apparently been on the grounds for two hours after scaling the wall with a nylon rope ladder.

He was convicted of treason and sentenced to nine years in prison for his crimes.

Both of these incidents show that more security is probably needed at the castle in the future if the royal family is to be kept safe.