Five armed officers from the Metropolitan Police's Royalty and Specialist Protection squad have been permanently banned from all royal residences after a female Kensington Palace employee reported them for misogynistic comments spanning August 2023 to September 2024. The Metropolitan Police cleared the officers of formal misconduct, but senior royal household staff independently revoked their passes . The incident is the latest in a series of security controversies at royal compounds,including a June 2023 intrrusion at Windsor Castle.

The 'Little Hitlers' complaint that sidelined five officers

According to the report, the complaint included an officer who, when asked to move his kit, complained that Kensington Palace was "full of little Hitlers." Another officer sent a Facebook friend request to a female employee. The comments were described as "tame" and not sexual in nature, but the staff member perceived them as misogynistic. as the source states, the Metropolitan Police investigated and concluded the conduct "did not meet the threshold for misconduct," though they advised the officers to learn from their actions. The officers have since been reassigned to other armed duties.

Why the Met's misconduct ruling didn't stop the palace's ban

As reported, the Metropolitan Police's investigation cleared the officers of formal misconduct . However, senior Royal Household staff independently decided to remove their passes, effectively barring them from all palaces. The source notes that Prince William and Kate Middleton were informed of the decision but had no direct involvement. This divergence underscores the palace's zero-tolerance approach to behavior that could be seen as misogynistic, even when it does not meet a legal threshold. The decision is also a rare public signal that palace management is willing to overrule police assessments in matters of workplace culture.

A pattern of security breaches from Windsor to Kensington

The source details a string of recent incidents involving the same elite police unit. Earlier this month, an investigation was launched into claims that up to 30 officers from the Royalty and Specialist Protection squad were sleeping on the job or faiing to report to their posts at Windsor Castle. In October 2024, masked burglars used a stolen truck to smash through a security barrier and scale the fence, stealing farm vehicles while Prince William and Princess Kate were at home with their children. These repeated lapses raise concerns about the effectiveness of security measures at royal residences and the culture within the unit tasked with protecting the family.

What former officers say about the squad's banter culture

Former Met royalty protection head Dai Davies expressed surprise at the number of complaints and questioned whether the unit has a culture of misogyny, according to the source. Former detective chief inspector Mick Neville commented that banter and silly comments were once acceptable in many work environments, including the police, but he was not surprised that the officers faced repercussions for remarks that offended a staff member. the source reports that the controversy highlights the challenges of maintaining a professional and respectful workplace within elite police units. It remains to be seen whether further investigations will be conducted into the broader culture of the unit, especially given the separate investigation into sleeping officers at Windsor Castle.