Armed intruder arrested on Windsor Castle grounds as Queen celebrates Christmas

An armed man was arrested after breaking into the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day, police said.

Officers from Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police were called to a security breach in the grounds of the castle in Berkshire at around 8.30am.

A 19-year-old man from Southampton has been arrested and is in custody, Thames Valley Police said.

Sky News believes the weapon was not a firearm.

The Sunday Mirror reported that the arrest came after security guards monitoring CCTV noticed a man carrying what appeared to be a crossbow.

The Mail on Sunday also suspected that the man was armed with a crossbow. Sources told the newspaper that he may have used a rope ladder to climb over a metal fence.

The police did not confirm which weapon it was. It is also not known where exactly the man was on the premises and how close he came to the castle itself.

The Queen is celebrating Christmas in Windsor this year after cancelling his traditional plans to visit Sandringham.

Superintendent Rebecca Mears said: “Investigations into this incident are ongoing and we are working with colleagues at the Metropolitan Police.”

“The man was arrested on suspicion of entering or trespassing on a restricted area and possession of an offensive weapon. He is currently still in custody.

“We can confirm that security measures were initiated within moments of the man entering the premises and that he did not enter any buildings.

“Members of the royal family have been informed of the incident.

“We do not believe there is a greater danger to the public.”

Today, more members of the royal family were photographed attending a service at St George's Chapel in Windsor before spending Christmas Day with the Queen.

Prince Charles and Camilla were joined in the chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Wearing a blue and turquoise checked jacket and matching hat, Camilla wished the press a “Merry Christmas” as the couple walked to the chapel.

It is understood that the Queen's absence from church services is a personal decision and follows a cautious approach observed over the past six months.

Sophie and Edward were accompanied by their daughter Lady Louise and their son James, Viscount Severn.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spending Christmas in Norfolk, where they are joined by members of the Middleton family.

It comes as In her moving Christmas message, the Queen looked back on a year of personal grief this afternoon.

She said there was “a familiar laughter missing” as she acknowledged the death of her husband Prince Philip amid the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

She said his “mischievous, quizzical twinkle was as bright at the end as it was when I first saw him,” and she felt for the families who had lost loved ones this year.

She also praised her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their commitment to climate change.

Last week, a woman was arrested after banging on Prince Andrew's car window and shouting at him as he drove through Windsor on his usual short route from his home, the Royal Lodge on the estate, to the castle where he rides horses.

Back in May, police arrested two intruders, a 31-year-old man and his 29-year-old girlfriend, after they managed to overcome the fences surrounding the Royal Lodge.

Sky News has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.