London
CNN
—

Thieves broke into the field Windsor Castle and stole two vehicles from royal land, police said, in a major security breach.

The incident took place on October 13, but was first reported on Sunday by British tabloid The Sun. Thames Valley Police confirmed last month’s theft in a statement to CNN on Monday.

Police said the break-in was reported around 11:45 p.m. (6:45 p.m. ET) and that the perpetrators entered a farm building on the royal grounds. The suspects “left in a black Izuzu pick-up and a red quad,” the police statement said, adding that no arrests had been made and an investigation was ongoing.

Sun. reported that two masked men scaled a 6 ft (1.83 metre) fence to enter the Crown Estate grounds, then used the stolen truck to break through a security gate and flee the scene.

Although Windsor Castle is one of the residences of King Charles and Queen Camilla, the two were not staying at the castle at the time of the reported break-in. Charles was in Scotland and did not return to London until the next day.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children live at Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom Grade II listed house which is also in the grounds of Windsor Castle and is likely to have been home on the night of the security breach.

Buckingham Palace told CNN it never comments on security matters, as does Kensington Palace.

On Christmas Day 2021, a the man entered grounds of Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow in an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, who was in the royal residence at the time.

The late regret was unharmed, although the intrusion raised serious questions about palace security, especially when it emerged that her repeated attempts to call for help had been ignored.

Jaswant Singh Chail, who was 19 when he tried to kill the queen, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2023.