From crossbow assassination plot to knife attack on guards – read on for more stories on previous royal security scares

AN intruder twice got into the grounds of William and Kate’s Kensington Palace residence just days before Christmas.

Derek Egan, 39, seen with a “heavy rucksack”, climbed over a fence before he was nicked in the gardens on both days.

An intruder twice got into the grounds of William and Kate’s Kensington Palace residence days before ChristmasCredit: Splash

Derek Egan was seen with a ‘heavy rucksack’ as he climbed over a fence before being nicked in the gardens on both daysCredit: Getty
He is now being held in custody and royal aides were informed of the security breaches.

Egan has been charged with two counts of trespassing on December 21 and December 23.

The intruder, said to have been seen carrying a heavy rucksack, was twice nabbed by cops from the Met Police Royal and Specialist Protection Command who dashed to find him in the palace gardens.

Former head of the Met Police’s Royal and Specialist Protection branch Dai Davies told The Sun: “The fact he repeated the offending after being given bail, given the nature of it, gives serious cause for concern.

This shows the police can never be off guard when protecting our Royal Family

Top cop

“The police must work out what level of danger the Royal Family were in, and based on the charges, why on Earth he was given bail?”

The respected ex-top cop added: “Any attempt to get into Kensington Palace needs careful investigation into the motive, any mental health concerns, and if the person is fixated on a royal.

“If this person wasn’t already on a list, he certainly will be now.

“You never know what someone may do when they attempt to break in. There are still a number of royals living at Kensington ­Palace, so any intrusion is of course concerning.

“I’m glad this man has been caught. This shows the police can never be off guard when protecting our Royal Family.”

Kensington Palace is home to ten Royal Family members and numerous staff.

The Prince and Princess of Wales live in Windsor but use the palace’s 20-room Apartment 1A as their London home.

It is understood they were not at the palace at the time of the ­security scares.

But in the days before, the Waleses were in London preparing for Christmas at Sandringham.

William, 43, and son George, 12, helped to prepare Christmas dinner at The Passage homeless shelter in Westminster with head chef Claudette Dawkins.

On both occasions when the intruder scaled the fence, Kate and William are understood to have been staying at Anmer Hall, their private country home on the ­Sandringham estate.

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William and son George helped to prepare Christmas dinner at The Passage homeless shelter in Westminster with head chef Claudette DawkinsCredit: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Bespectacled Egan, wearing a green jumper, exploded into a tirade of abuse and tried to smash up the glass-fronted dock when he appeared at Westminster magistrates’ court yesterday.

He was first meant to appear at Bromley magistrates’ court on Christmas Eve but refused to leave his prison van and was remanded in custody.

Egan, who had been on police bail after the first incident at the palace, told the court he had pleaded guilty.

A judge said he was unable to deal with him without the ­consent of the Attorney General.

District Judge Sam Goozee said: “I am going to proceed in a hearing in his absence on January 6 in view of his disorderly behaviour to officers of the court and the court itself. I am not granting him bail on the basis that if he is convicted, there is a real possibility he will receive a custodial sentence.”

Egan’s pleas will be confirmed at the next hearing on Tuesday.

The Crown Prosecution Service said: “The charges need the Attorney General’s consent because of national security concerns, but in this case security concerns against the Royal Family.

“The Attorney General needs to consider any further security risks before granting consent to ­prosecute.”

Also at Kensington ­Palace just before the incidents was the late Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, 81, and his wife Birgitte van Deurs, 79, who live in its Old Stables.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughter Princess Eugenie, 35, her husband Jack Brooksbank, 39, and their two sons reside at Nottingham Cottage in the grounds, where Prince Harry and wife Meghan used to live.

Meanwhile, Prince Michael of Kent, 83, and his wife Princess Michael of Kent, 80, live at Wren House in the grounds, along with the Duke of Kent, 90.

Palace sources would not confirm which royals, if any, were at ­Kensington Palace — which was once home to Princess Diana — at the time of the raids.

A statue of Diana was unveiled by Harry and William in the Sunken Garden to mark what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday in 2021.

Parts of the building are open to the public and tourists throughout the year.

It is understood the intruder did not enter the main building and the area where he was stopped is not where members of the Royal ­Family live.

He is thought to have been ­captured after scaling fences on the public side of the palace near the entrance to Hyde Park before being spotted on CCTV.

A spokesman for the Royal Family did not want to comment.

The Waleses have been the targets of ­multiple security breaches in recent years.

William and Kate are now being protected by a huge no-go area banning locals from land near their new Forest Lodge home in Windsor.

CCTV cameras, massive fencing and landscaping will keep trespassers away from their eight-bed mansion.

Royal residences are also being protected by no-fly zones, banning aircraft or drones from passing within a 2,500ft altitude.

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‘The fact he repeated the offending after being given bail, given the nature of it, gives serious cause for concern’, warn insidersCredit: Getty
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Kensington Palace is home to ten Royal Family members and numerous staffCredit: Getty