Five armed officers are 'banned from royal residences' after Kensington Palace staffer reported 'misogynistic behaviour'

Published: 01:44, 31 May 2026 | Updated: 01:46, 31 May 2026 Five armed police officers have been banned from the royal residences after a staffer at Kensington Palace reported them for misogynistic behaviour. The female member of staff claimed that officers had made a number of 'inappropriate' comments. One of the serving police officers is reported to have complained that Kensington Palace - which is the official residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales - was 'full of little Hitlers'.  The Metropolitan Police then launched an investigation into the allegations against the Royalty and Specialist Protection officers which concluded the officers had to learn from their actions. But their conduct was not deemed to  have reached the misconduct threshold. However, senior Royal Household staff have taken the decision to remove their passes which forbids them from working at any palace in the future. Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly had no direct involvement in the decision to bar the officers but they were informed of the decision.  It is understood that the member of staff first complained about the officers' conduct in October 2024. Kensington Palace has banned five police officers after they made a string of inappropriate comments  The five armed police officers are alleged to have made comments including one who complained that the palace was 'full of little Hitlers' She claimed that between August 2023 and September 2024 members of the unit made a number of comments which she believed were inappropriate.  This included the 'little Hitlers' comment when one police officer was asked to move his kit. Meanwhile, another reportedly sent a friend request on Facebook to a female employee at the palace. A source told The Sun: 'Comments from the officers were perceived as misogynistic though the allegations were tame and none were sexual in nature.'    Despite the Met clearing the officers of misconduct and declaring that they could return to work, the source said the decision was taken they could not return to the palace. The police officers are now believed to be working on other armed duties elsewhere in the Met. Former Met royalty protection operational head Dai Davies said he was 'surprised' by the amount of complaints adding it raised questions of whether the unit has a 'culture of misogyny'.  Former detective chief inspector Mick Neville said: 'A few years ago, banter and silly comments were acceptable in many work environments, including the police. Prince William and Kate Middleton outside Kensington Palace in 2021. The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly had no direct involvement in the decision to bar the officer but they were informed of the decision 'But I am not surprised to find that royalty protection officers at Kensington Palace found themselves in hot water for remarks which offended one of the staff.' This is just the most recent incident where armed police at the royal households have found themselves in hot water. Earlier this month, it was announced that an investigation had been launched into claims that armed police at Windsor Castle had been sleeping on the job. Up to 30 staff at the Metropolitan Police's Royalty and Specialist Protection squad are under investigation for misconduct, as reports also emerged that some officers signed in for duty but never turned up to their post. The probe comes after a spate of recent security breaches at the 13-acre castle estate, which regularly hosts high-profile official events and houses members of the royal family.  In June last year, 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 have said a man was detained on suspicion of trespass on a protected site and possession of Class A drugs, before being bailed. In October 2024, masked burglars smashed down a security barrier and scaled Windsor Castle's estate fence nearby to where Prince William and Princess Kate were sleeping at home with their children. The two men reportedly used a stolen truck to smash through a security gate before stealing farm vehicles and driving off in a pick-up and on a quad bike that they took from a barn at Shaw Farm. The Daily Mail has approached the Met Police and Kensington Palace for a comment.    No comments have so far been submitted. 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