Royal cops 'sleeping on the job' probe widens from Windsor to Buckingham Palace and other royal residences

By RYAN HOOPER, CRIME CORRESPONDENT Published: 12:24, 24 May 2026 | Updated: 12:24, 24 May 2026 Police investigating claims royal protection officers fell asleep while guarding the King at Windsor Castle have widened the probe, potentially including Buckingham Palace and other residences. A total of 23 officers responsible for protecting royals at Windsor Castle have now been served with misconduct notices, meaning they may be subject to disciplinary procedures. The Met said 21 of these officers had been placed on restricted duties, following an 'urgent' investigation by the force's directorate of professional standards into claims they left their posts unattended and slept while on duty. The allegations first came to light a fortnight ago, and prompted Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to describe the alleged behaviour as falling 'below the high standards expected of officers, particularly in frontline protective roles'. And they have now confirmed the investigation has widened.   A spokesman said: 'The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been informed and concluded that this matter will be investigated locally by the Met. 'At this time, 23 officers have been served with misconduct notices, 21 of whom have been placed on restricted duties. 'The remaining two are not formally restricted but will not be deployed to any royal residence while the investigation continues. Royal protection officers are routinely deployed to Windsor Castle where they carry out foot patrols and monitor entrances and exits  'As part of the investigation, enquiries are being made as to the conduct of officers on protective duties at other royal residences. It is understood the Royal household has been informed of the developments. Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by the Mail today. Being served with a misconduct notice means the officers are under investigation - not that they are necessarily subject to disciplinary proceedings. Those officers will be invited to submit a statement setting out their response to the claims. It will then be up to the investigation team to determine whether the alleged behaviour amounts to misconduct or the more serious alternative, gross misconduct, where officers can be sacked if they are found to have breached standards. Investigators may also decide there is no case for the officer to answer, meaning they will not face any disciplinary proceedings. Royal protection officers at Windsor Castle are deployed to carry out a range of functions, including controlling the entrances and exits to the sprawling Berkshire estate. Police also conduct foot patrols around the castle, which is one of the King's main residences and is used by other senior royals. It has been subject to several attempted security breaches in recent years. In June, a man in his 30s was arrested after intruding into the grounds of Windsor Castle, close to the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Officers said a man was detained on suspicion of trespass on a protected site and possession of Class A drugs. And in October 2024, masked burglars smashed down a security barrier and scaled Windsor Castle's estate fence. The two men reportedly used a stolen truck to smash through a security gate before stealing farm vehicles and driving off. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.