Princess Kate Returns to Royal Duties After Intruder Arrested at Windsor Castle

The Princess of Wales carried out her first royal meeting since the incident.

A photo of the exterior of Windsor Castle and one of Kate Middleton wearing a berry colored coat and hat
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Security breaches have become shockingly common at royal residences in recent years, and on Sunday, June 1, Windsor Castle was targeted by an intruder for the second time in recent months. No one was injured in the incident, and on Wednesday, June 3, Princess Kate returned to royal duties for the first time after the breach.

Per the Court Circular, the Princess of Wales—who launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood—held a meeting at Windsor Castle for her work in the childhood development sector. The private meeting marks the first duty the princess has carried out since May 22, when she attended a naming ceremony in Scotland for the warship HMS Glasgow.

According to the BBC, a man in his thirties was arrested on Sunday for breaking into the castle grounds. A spokesperson for the Thames Valley Police said: "At just after 1pm on Sunday, a man entered restricted grounds at Windsor Castle. He was quickly challenged by Met police officers and arrested. He did not enter the inner grounds of Windsor Castle."

Windsor Castle exterior shot

An intruder broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle on June 1.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton wearing a white polka dot dress and black hat

The Princess of Wales is seen at a VE Day service on May 8.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The police continued that the man "was arrested on suspicion of trespass on a secure site and possession of class A drugs. He has been bailed and an investigation is ongoing by Thames Valley Police."

In October, masked intruders broke into a farm property on the castle grounds that's alarmingly close to Adelaide Cottage, the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. And in February 2024, an unarmed man was found wandering in the gardens outside King Charles's Windsor Castle apartments.

"Offenders entered a farm building and made off with a black Isuzu pick-up and a red quad bike," a police statement read following the October incident. The intruders escaped by driving through the very same gate the Wales family uses to access their property.

While Princess Kate has been staying out of the spotlight since her May 22 trip to Scotland, next Saturday marks one of the biggest events on the royal calendar. On June 14, the Royal Family will gather to celebrate The King's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour—and fans should expect to see Princess Kate, Prince William and their three children in attendance.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.