Intruders broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle last month and stole two vehicles, the police confirmed on Monday, a significant security breach at the sprawling royal estate west of London that is the primary residence of Prince William, his wife Catherine, and their three children.

William, the heir to the throne, and his family are believed to have been at home at the time of the burglary, according to The Sun, a London tabloid, which first reported the incident on Sunday. King Charles III and Queen Camilla also stay often at Windsor Castle, but were not there at the time.

A spokesman for the Thames Valley Police said they had received a report of a burglary on Crown Estate land shortly before midnight on October 13. The intruders scaled a fence at Shaw Farm, an active farm located on the estate, according to The Sun.

“Offenders entered a farm building and made of with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike,” the police spokesman said. “No arrests have been made at this stage and an investigation is ongoing.”

The Sun reported that after climbing over the six-foot fence to enter the grounds, the intruders used the truck, which had been stored in the barn, along with the bike, to crash through a farm gate on their way out. The gate is a five minutes’ drive from Adelaide Cottage, where William and Catherine live with their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, where William and Catherine have their offices, declined to comment on the incident, in keeping with their policy of not commenting on security issues.

There is no suggestion that the prince or his family were in direct danger. They have their own security at Adelaide Cottage, one of several residences on the 16,000 acre-Windsor estate that are used by members of the royal family.

It was the second major security breach at Windsor Castle in recent years, though not as serious as a previous one on Christmas Day in 2021, when the police confronted a man clad in black, wearing a metal face mask and wielding a crossbow. “I am here to kill the queen,” he told the officers.

New York Times News Service