As if the Prince and Princess of Wales haven't been through enough this past year, a pair of masked intruders recently broke into the Windsor Castle estate near their home, even making off with some stuff. Here's what we know.
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00:00As if the Prince and Princess of Wales haven't been through enough this past year, a pair
00:04of masked intruders recently broke into the Windsor Castle estate near their home, even
00:08making off with some stuff.
00:10Here's what we know.
00:11Though we're just hearing about the shocking news now, it turns out that the break-in occurred
00:15just before midnight on October 13th, 2024.
00:18The intruders were able to climb over a six-foot security fence and steal not one, but two
00:23vehicles, a black Isuzu pickup and a red quad bike.
00:27They then used the pickup to ram through the Shaw Farm gate and escape into the night.
00:31The gate, which is apparently used quite frequently by the family when they come and go, is mere
00:36minutes from Adelaide Cottage, where the family was sleeping at the time of the incident.
00:40Thankfully, the intruders didn't seem to have anything more nefarious in mind besides Grand
00:44Theft Auto.
00:45As of this video, authorities have yet to make an arrest, nor have Buckingham Palace
00:49or Kensington Palace made an official statement.
00:52Understandably, the break-in has fueled concerns over the apparent lack of security at Windsor
00:56Castle.
00:57Though there are most definitely armed guards that patrol the area, there obviously aren't
01:01enough of them, especially after some of them were allegedly relieved of duty, according
01:05to Hello!
01:06Magazine.
01:07It goes without saying that the royal family will be reassessing things after such a brazen
01:11act of theft was able to occur.
01:13Keep in mind that this actually isn't the first time intruders were able to gain access
01:17to the property.
01:18You may recall that on Christmas Day in 2021, 23-year-old Jaswant Singh Chail was able to
01:23scale the fence with a crossbow before being apprehended by security.
01:26He had intended to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II in retribution for the Jallianwala Bagh
01:38massacre that occurred in 1919, which saw British soldiers fire upon thousands of people
01:43in Amritsar, India.
01:45Ultimately, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
01:47This, of course, makes one wonder what the penalty will be for the two newest intruders
01:52if they're eventually caught.
01:53Though they seemingly didn't have any violent intentions, it's still quite the crime to
01:57break into a royal residence and make off with two vehicles.
02:00As any royal fan knows, Adelaide Cottage is where the Prince and Princess of Wales
02:04love to go when they need a break from the rigors of Kensington Palace.
02:08It's been especially integral for them during Kate's battle against cancer.
02:11Over the course of her chemotherapy treatment, Kate worked from home at the residence.
02:15Located on 655-acre Windsor Great Park, the cottage is actually a pretty humble abode,
02:21with a simple four-bedroom layout and no staff, the family is able to live a much more
02:25traditional and private life.
02:27They're far from the first royals to take advantage of the serenity.
02:30Built way back in 1831, Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV, was the first to use it as
02:35a sanctuary.
02:36Over the years, many others would do the same, including Queen Victoria, who enjoyed using
02:40the cottage as one of her favorite getaways for breakfast and tea.
02:44The cottage was also once occupied by Pete Townsend, an equerry to King George VI, who
02:49famously had an affair with Princess Margaret.
02:51After this shocking break-in, it looks like Adelaide Cottage's storied history has gotten
02:55a little richer.
02:56We think we can speak for everyone when we say that, though it was a terrifying occurrence,
03:00we're beyond happy that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children were able to survive
03:04the incident unharmed.