Another security scare at Royal Lodge in Windsor; two intruders arrested

Two intruders have been arrested from the grounds of Prince Andrew's residence Royal Lodge in Windsor, just days after a woman claiming to be his fiancée duped security guards into entering the castle.

The latest security breach took place on the afternoon of April 25 when a 31-year-old man and his 29-year-old girlfriend scaled fences in the lodge grounds, which includes Prince Andrew's home as well as the All Saints Chapel where the Queen attends Sunday service. The ground is also close to where Queen Elizabeth II goes for walks with her corgis and rides horses. The 95-year-old has been staying at nearby Windsor Castle since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police told the Mirror that both the intruders have been released under investigation while enquiries continue, noting that there was no risk to any individual on the site.

The arrests come at a time when security was already said to be on "high alert," given that a woman had managed to enter Prince Andrew's main residence on April 19. The woman, a 44-year-old Spanish national who called herself Irene Windsor, told security that she is engaged to the Duke of York and even managed to convince them to pay her taxi fare. She wandered around the gardens for around 20 minutes before she entered the main house and got arrested in the lobby.

The two break-ins come months after Andrew's police protection was scaled back as a part of cost-cutting measures, influenced by the fact that he is no longer a working royal since he quit in 2019 due to public uproar over his alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The remaining private security at his residence is provided by the Privy Purse, his mother's private income.

The 61-year-old was understood to have been home during both the break-ins at the castle, which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.

A source told The Sun about the security scares: "This is an astonishing lapse. Everyone was on high alert after the first intruder, now this happens. Heads could roll. It is unforgivable. The couple wandered around for ages before anyone spotted them and police were called. Andrew was at home at the time. You have to wonder what on Earth is going on up there."