Royal staff based at Buckingham Palace came face to face with an intruder this week. 

People Magazine have reported 28-year-old man Connor Attridge was arrested on Sunday night after trespassing the royal grounds. 

Attridge reportedly entered the Palace grounds through the vehicle gate of the Royal Mews after it was opened for an authorised vehicle and despite being asked to stop by a member of staff he walked another 3 to 4 metres before saying, "I want to come in. I want to see the Queen". 

Staff quickly ushered Attridge out of the Palace grounds where he was arrested. 

However, despite Attridge's best efforts, he would not have been able to see the Queen as she was in Scotland at her Balmoral estate for a "short break" during the weekend. 

Attridge's lawyer, Daniel Mullin, said his client suffers from mental health issues and had "no motive or desire to go further than he did". 

"This was at worst reckless and at best bordering on an accidental offence," Mullin told Westminster Magistrates' Court. 

Royal staff based at Buckingham Palace came face to face with an intruder this week. Photo / Getty Images 

The case has been adjourned until June 28 and Attridge was granted bail with conditions, including a curfew monitored by electronic tag and orders not to travel to London except to attend court. 

The close call was followed by another frightening moment for Her Majesty after her private jet was caught in a thunderstorm mid-air today and lightning strikes forced the pilot to abandon its landing in London and circle the city for 15 minutes. 

Her 13-seater private jet had attempted to land at RAF Northolt in northwest London, before the pilot flew the plane back into the air and started circling the area, reports the Daily Mail. 

The jet took off from Aberdeen in Scotland at 1pm during a heavy downpour of rain and arrived in London amid an electrical storm and hail. 

After the weather cleared, the pilot successfully landed. 

Buckingham Palace confirmed the aborted landing because of the lightning, but added there were no safety concerns for the monarch.