Concerns for the royal couple’s safety have been raised.

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An intruder was caught on the grounds of the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales (Image: Getty)

A man has been caught twice on the grounds of Prince William and Princess Catherine’s Kensington Palace. The intruder, who is said to have been carrying ” a heavy rucksack”, was caught in the gardens twice just days before Christmas.

Officers from the Met Police Royal and Specialist Protection Command discovered him on December 21 and 23. Following the incidents, a man called Derek Egan, 39, was charged with two counts of trespassing on those dates. He is currently being held in custody, the Sun reports. Kensington Palace is home to 10 members of the Royal Family as well as staff. Apartment 1A is the Wales’ London home, but they live permanently in the grounds of Windsor Castle. It is believed that they were not in residence at the time, instead being at Anmer Hall, their home on the Sandringham Estate. Egan, who appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, shouted abuse while in the dock, according to The Sun. He was reportedly meant to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Christmas Eve but refused to leave the prison van and was remanded in custody.

Kensington palace and gardens in spring, London, UK
An intruder broke into Kensington Palace (Image: Getty)

He pleaded guilty, and 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.”

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.”

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.

“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?”

“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.”