VF: Kensington Palace ‘refuses to comment’ on the Waleses’ security post-break-in

Some people are theorizing that the left-behind Windsors are trying a different kind of PR strategy these days: feel sorry for us, woe is me, bad things keep happening to us, we’re so pitiful. It could be, although I don’t think they even needed the deflection because barely any British outlets covered the Dispatches/Times investigation into the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall. That investigation revealed Prince William and King Charles’s slumlording and profiteering from public services and charities. Who can talk about that when some nefarious burglars broke into the Royal Windsor estate and made off with some farm equipment though? Apparently, this is the bigger story! And Kensington Palace *refuses* to talk about Prince William and Kate’s safety! From Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair:

Following a break-in on the grounds of Windsor Castle last month, where Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis reside, Kensington Palace has refused to comment on the family’s security.

On Sunday, The Sun reported that police were on the hunt for two suspects who broke into buildings on the Windsor Castle estate on October 13. It is believed the thieves were targeting farm machinery and used a stolen vehicle to crash through a security gate as they sped off with the stolen items. No arrests have been made, and the investigation continues, a Thames Valley Police spokesman told The Sun.

The theft took place a short distance from Prince William and Princess Kate’s home on the royal estate as the couple and their three children slept. However, it is understood there was no threat to their safety, and the family members have no plans to leave Adelaide Cottage, where they have been living since the summer of 2022.

The Sun described the incident as a “major security scare” for the royal family after two men successfully scaled a six-foot fence and gained access Shaw Farm. A source told The Sun that the suspects “must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while.”

While a security force does not live in Adelaide Cottage, the family is protected 24/7 by close protection officers. The break-in follows news that armed police have been removed from Windsor Castle’s two main public entrances because of a shortage of firearms officers in the Met Police.

[From Vanity Fair]

Other commentators are laying it on thick, claiming that the break-in was “horrific” because William and Kate “are under immense stress due to her health concerns, this is the last thing they need.” Something is really weird about this break-in story, you guys. The fact that no one said anything for more than a month about the break-in, the fact that Kensington Palace won’t even confirm if the Wales fam was actually staying at Adelaide Cottage at the time (it’s all assumptions, they haven’t got anything confirmed), and the fact that KP won’t say anything about the security situation. It’s all so odd. They keep saying that the burglars must have been casing the joint for weeks (all to steal two vehicles??) – is that what they’re really worried about? That the burglars might know more about William and Kate’s movements and living situation than the press knows?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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28 Responses to “VF: Kensington Palace ‘refuses to comment’ on the Waleses’ security post-break-in”

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  1. SarahLee says:

    Could it be a W&K ploy to get a better living situation?

    • Friendly Crow says:

      They must move into the palace! Or royal lodge! The public outcry over their safety is deafening!

      Sigh……. So obvious. A break in happened near their house where farm equipment was stolen.

      People literally have their homes broken into, held at gun/ knife point and then have to pay for the repairs and just keep trucking along with the immense trauma. Cuz bills.

  2. Eowyn says:

    I don’t think this generated the curiosity and interest they hoped for.

  3. Nanea says:

    The short distance is nearly a mile away, but OK.

    Do these people really want to burden the public purse with even bigger security costs? How about — head of state gets protection for official functions and the main residence, the rest of the various hangers-on and their individual living arrangements is on the billionaire slumlords.

    • Unblinkered says:

      Not just fair but totally reasonable, I’d say.
      W receives £23m pa from the DofC he can fund his security easily. Otherwise, he hands over the DoC income to the government who pay him a salary and provide his security.

  4. seaflower says:

    Oh my dog, the Windsor Castle estate is 6,400 hectares (15,800 acres). Even if WanK and the kids were all together in AC (big assumption that all 5 were together in the cottage at night), the chances of this break in being anywhere near them are laughable. Security would have been all over them if they were within a mile.

  5. ML says:

    Not commenting on security is not odd to me.
    What I do find a bit off is that this took place weeks ago, and wasn’t reported. The breakin was also over a half a mile away from Adelaide Cottage in a farm building, but it’s being connected to WanK. Technically, KC is kind of, sort of in charge of Windsor and its security, no?

  6. sevenblue says:

    From what I understand, this was an old story the Sun was probably keeping for rainy days. Now that the royal news slowed down, they are running it to fill pages and probably got approval from the palace to make it public. It was the sun editor who was cooperating directly with the palace during KateGate. I wonder if KP thought this would be a big story to distract public for a while. From what I have seen, nobody cared much.

  7. Hypocrisy says:

    It does feel like they are pushing the “sad sap royals with all the bad luck” narrative but it will never stick. No one feels bad for these greedy, lying and extreme secretive people.. like seriously they are paid a half a billion a year from the taxpayers.. with that kind of funding nothing should be off limits, if the public wants daily updates, school grades or even medical records it should be public information.. if they want the privacy and privilege to keep things from the public stop taking their money and get make money on their own like Prince Harry.. until then this secretive 💩 sure looks like they are hiding a lot of nefariousness. As for the break-in unless they were standing inside Adelaide cottage they were never in any danger and to act like they were is laughable.

  8. Steph says:

    The Prince and Princess of Break-ins and Bodies.

  9. Yes the burglars know what most of us know and that is that Can’t and Pegs fairytale marriage is a farce because they don’t even live together. That’s why they don’t want to talk about it because the heir was never near the crime scene. He was living his life at Kensington Palace and not in any danger.

  10. Nic919 says:

    They have 24/7 security and were never at risk. The farm vehicles were what was scoped out and taken. This isn’t even like the time someone broke into the living quarters at BP.

    • BeanieBean says:

      Like that guy who actually made it into QEIIs bedroom! And sat on the bed & talked with her after she alerted the guards! (or something like that)

  11. Anonymous says:

    Idk is the bigger news that that there’s no police presence at the gate due to an apparent shortage of firearms officers in the uk? Can’t they have guards without guns? Are supposed to be worried about the lack of protection at the Windsor gates? The shortage in officers? Yeah, it’s weird.

    • Steph says:

      I was also thinking this was about putting out an excuse about Harry’s security. We’ll see if we get an update on his case soon.

  12. blueberry says:

    Could this be some sort of warning directed to Andrew? Royal Lodge is on Windsor right?

  13. Amy Bee says:

    I mean with Kate out of commission and William barely working, KP is under pressure to give the press some information and this is what they came up with.

  14. Roisin says:

    Feels like a lot of effort and risk for a pickup truck and a 4-wheeler. So weird.

    • Friendly Crow says:

      Almost makes you wonder if some rich knobs were slumming it and “doing a robbery” as a joke/ prank. Like say W and a friend.

  15. Gabby says:

    If you’re a British farm equipment thief, aren’t there literally thousands of easier and more “sure thing” targets around than Windsor Castle?

    I’m starting to think this burglary never happened. Just like *cough* Kate’s cancer *cough*.

    • Becks1 says:

      This is a very weird story, right?

      Like if it was two drunk guys who thought “lets see what happens” I could see it more than this story of them casing WC for weeks. You’re going to go to all that effort to steal farm vehicles from Windsor estate which I’m sure is a much bigger offense than stealing them from the local farm down the road?

      It’s like breaking into Buckingham Palace because you want to pick a random dandelion or something.

  16. Cassie says:

    Jeez, they are really going all out on the sympathy angle for this family .

    Lots of bigger things happening in the world than this supposed incident .

  17. Penny says:

    How funny if it turned out to be her brother trying to satisfy his cravings for old farm machinery.

  18. martha says:

    Maybe not much planning was involved for this grand theft. Crimes of opportunity are pretty much a way of life in rural areas. (like stripping farm vehicles left overnight in the field, siphoning gas, stealing sheep, etc). It’s kind of a way of life and the attitude is pretty much that it’s the victim’s fault for being careless.

    I live in California desert. Favorite perennial local media police-blotter story is when a stupid local robs somewhere and police just track his footprints home!

    But – I’m not making light of these stupid thefts whether it’s from a local gas-station or a English palace. I absolutely don’t blame them for not discussing security.