Police challenged Prince Andrew in the gardens at Buckingham Palace and ordered him to 'verify his identity' after mistaking him for an intruder.

The Duke of York, 53, had gone for a walk in the gardens to enjoy the early evening sunshine when he was stopped by two police officers.

A Royal insider alleged the officers pointed their guns at the Prince and told him to 'put your hands up and get on the ground' before realising who he was.

Metropolitan Police insists 'no weapons were drawn and no force was used' during the incident.

The incident at around 6pm on Wednesday came less than 48 hours after a break-in at the Queen's home.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'On Wednesday, September 4, at approximately 6pm, two uniformed officers approached a man in the gardens of Buckingham Palace to verify his identity.

'The man was satisfactorily identified. No weapons were drawn and no force was used.'A Royal insider told the Sunday Express: 'There is a high turnover of the police on duty at the Palace, but you’d think anyone would know what Prince Andrew looks like.

'It’s fair to say that to describe the Duke as unhappy and the two officers as highly embarrassed is the biggest understatement of the century.'

It comes after an intruder was able to scale a fence and get inside the palace on Monday night, before being arrested by police.

A security review has been launched following Monday night's suspected burglary.

Police said the man was found shortly before 10.30pm 'in an area currently open to the public during the day' and arrested for burglary, trespass and criminal damage.

Prince Andrew, pictured with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, is said to be very unhappy about the incident

A second man was arrested outside the palace for conspiracy to commit burglary.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Both men have been bailed to return to a central London police station and enquiries continue.

'A review of the specific circumstances of this incident is being carried out. No members of the Royal family were at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident.'

A spokesman added that security would form part of the review.

The Queen made her traditional appearance at a Highland Games yesterday, as details of the break-in emerged.

She was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales at the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire, where the royal party watched pipe bands and dancers perform to a large crowd.

The Queen has been spending her summer break at Balmoral Castle since the beginning of August and is not expected to return to the palace until October.
The Braemar Gathering is held each year just a short distance from the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.

The break-in is one of the most serious security breaches at the palace since 1982, when Michael Fagan evaded guards to get inside the Queen's private chambers while she was still in bed.

The unemployed father of four, 31, spent around 10 minutes talking to the Queen after he climbed over the palace walls and up a drainpipe.

The Queen managed to raise the alarm when Fagan asked for a cigarette, allowing her to call for a footman who held him until police arrived.

【新闻快讯】

英国王子安德鲁9月4日傍晚在白金汉宫散步时,差点被保护王室的警官当成非法入侵者抓起来。

一名消息人士透露,安德鲁当时走进王室的花园散步,原打算是借此晒晒太阳,放松一下自己。在走到距离王宫较远的一个角落时,没料到一名警官突然扑过来,另一名警官紧随其后。

有媒体报道说,这两名警察当时拔出配枪,对着王子喝道:“举起手来,趴到地上。” 不过伦敦警察厅随后发表声明称,两名警察的确在白金汉宫的花园对一名男子核实过身份,但是在整个过程中并没有拔枪或使用暴力。

经过调查得知,原来白金汉宫的安保人员两天前抓捕了两名涉嫌在女王家里实施盗窃的男子,其中一人被捕地点距离女王私人房间很近。这一事件令警卫们神经过于紧张。

英国王室还没有就此事发表评论。

1982年,英国王宫也发生过一起入室盗窃未遂事件。当时名为迈克尔·法加的男子爬过多个墙体,顺着一个排水管进入女王的私人房间,当时女王还在熟睡中,醒来后突然发现了这名男子坐在她的床头,手里紧握着一块碎玻璃,血从他的手上滴落下来。凭着皇族特有的镇定,女王同他交谈了十分钟。后来,当他向女王要香烟时,女王才得机叫来男仆将其扭送警署。