On the night of October 13, two masked burglars scaled the almost two meter fence surrounding Shaw Farm, located within the Windsor Estate. Their target: a farm building housing a black Isuzu pickup and a red quad. After seizing the two vehicles, they fled, breaking a security barrier to escape. According to a Thames Valley Police spokesperson, “the perpetrators headed towards the Old Windsor/Datchet area. No arrests have been made to date, and the investigation continues.”
The burglary took place while the Prince and Princess of Wales were asleep at their main residence, Adelaide Cottage, just minutes from the castle. “The burglars probably observed the scene before acting,” a source told the Sun, adding that they knew the location of the vehicles and had planned their attack at the most opportune time to escape without being detected. .
The alarm system was only triggered when the thieves left the farm through the security gate. The incident was a source of security concern, especially as all three of the royal couple were sleeping nearby. King Charles and Queen Camilla were not present at the estate, with the King in Scotland and Camilla traveling to India ahead of their tour of Australia and Samoa.
This theft raises new questions about the security of the royal domain. The British daily notes that reports indicate a reduction in the presence of armed officers at some public entrances to the castle, although armed patrols are still carried out.
