Maciek Kusek, sleeping rough near Windsor Castle, boasted that he will have a front row seat at Harry and Meghan’s wedding
Tents have sprung up outside Windsor Castle – with the homeless sleeping under canvas just yards from where Prince Harry and Meghan will marry.
Tory councillor Simon Dudley moaned that rough sleepers living around the castle should be moved on in time for the royal wedding in May.
But the street dwellers say they won’t budge and have started putting up tents near the royal residence as they boast that they will have ‘front row seats’ for the big day.
Rob Blyfield, 52, a property developer based in the town contacted MailOnline when he saw the tents springing up.
He said: ‘I’m not happy about it at all, it’s like tent city. It’s embarrassing, especially with the royal wedding coming up.
‘The homeless are putting the tourists off by lying around on the streets in front of them. It’s not right.’
As Mr Byfield spoke, in Windsor, a homeless man was shielded from the sun by a Union Jack flag as he slept under a neatly made bed layered with blankets with a cross on his makeshift wall.
Following Tory councillor Simon Dudley’s outburst about wanting to remove Windsor’s homeless in time for the royal wedding in May, tents have begun springing up near the castle
A rough sleeper has taken residence in a bus shelter just a few yards from Her Majesty’s favourite residence – as the homeless living there say they will not be budged by the council
Business owners in Windsor say they are frustrated by the number of homeless living around the castle – but those living there say they have nowhere else to go
Another hid from passers-by under a red, one-man pop-up tent – pitched outside the four-star hotel and spa, The Harte and Garter.
Nearby Maciek Kusek, 29, who has been homeless since he lost his job as a waiter at a hotel in the town, insisted he was going nowhere for the big day.
He told MailOnline: ‘I lost my job and all my stuff is here so I have no choice but to stay here. But at least I’ll have a front row seat on the Royal Wedding. I won’t be moved.
He went on: ‘When I lost my job, and with it my accommodation, four months ago I had no employment contract, despite me living in the UK for eight years.
‘Without a place to live I have no chance of getting another job. I’ve been robbed three times and my ID has been stolen so I can’t even go back to Poland now.’
This red one-man pop-up tent has been pitched outside the four-star hotel and spa, The Harte and Garter
Maciek Kusek told MailOnline: ‘I lost my job and all my stuff is here so I have no choice but to stay here. But at least I’ll have a front row seat on the Royal Wedding. I won’t be moved.’
He shivered under a blanket outside Lloyds Bank as he continued: ‘Some drug addicts begging for money give us all a bad name. I’m not on drugs or begging yet the police and wardens keep moving me on.
‘It’s like Marie Antoinette saying to the starving French revolutionaries ‘Let them eat cake!’ It’s ridiculous.
‘I can’t even get to sleep until 6am every morning because it’s so noisy. I get kicked and punched on Saturdays when people pass by on nights out.’
Another homeless man, who only gave his name as James, as he huddled under blankets and umbrellas outside McDonalds close to the castle, said: ‘What else can I do but stay here? I can’t get a job without a home.
‘So I’ll watch the royals pass by from under my blanket. They’re supposed to be charitable, so they should care about the homeless too.’
The 35-year-old added: ‘I’ve been on the street for 14 months since my mum, who has learning difficulties, was put into a home and the local authority took the house off me that I’d always shared with her.
‘I used to be a gardener. Now I have to rely on the kindness of strangers. Some people are nice and give me food. Some throw things at me or try to move me on.’
As they spoke, one unnamed woman said: ‘You’re just encouraging them!’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – pictured on Tuesday on their visit to Scotland on Tuesday – will walk down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle
Conservative councillor Simon Dudley sparked fury last month after demanding police clear the town of an ‘epidemic’ of homeless people before Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
The leader of Windsor Council accused rough sleepers of ‘aggressive begging and intimidation’ and said he wanted them moved on before the royals tie the knot on May 19.
Tory councillor Simon Dudley sparked fury after demanding police clear homeless people before Harry and Meghan’s wedding
Harry and Meghan will walk down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and Cllr Dudley said he thought the ‘detritus and bags’ of homeless could even provide a security risk.
Cllr Dudley’s words prompted thousands to sign a petition calling on him to be sacked – and two Tory councillors to quit.
Twitter supporters of the homeless – using the hashtag #royalsleepover – said they they plan to join them in Windsor with sleeping bags for the big day.
But Prem Tamang, a manager from the swanky Harte and Garter hotel, spoke of her concern as the homeless have dug in their heels further by putting up tents near Her Mayjesty’s favourite royal residence.
She said: ‘I don’t think it creates the right impression to have homeless people begging outside Windsor Castle.
‘What kind of message is that sending out to the tourists who come from all over the world to visit?
‘It’s not the right look for the Royal Wedding. It’s only three months away now.
‘The police can’t force them out of the area unless they do anything criminal. When they house them in shelters, they only return here, so there’s nothing that anyone can do.
A Twitter user told of their anger at Cllr Dudley’s comments as they took a photo of two police officers speaking to a rough sleeper in Windsor and asked if it was part of the council’s strategy
Harry and his royal bride Meghan will tie the knot at Windsor Castle (pictured) on May 19
‘There’s a guy called Sunny who’s set up camp in the bus shelter. He’s a nice guy whose family kicked him out. He doesn’t do drugs. He has no choice.
‘But our customers complain because they don’t like to see this on our doorstep. There’s nothing anyone can do. It’s a real problem.’
The owner of the Thai Terrace restaurant, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘There have been more and more coming to live on the streets here in the last three years.
‘I’d rather feed the desperate and in need than throw food away. But I’ve seen one girl sat begging in a nice dress and under a duvet. There was no way that she was really homeless.
‘Some are just taking advantage of the tourists. It’s difficult for businesses. It ruins the look of the place.’
An elderly woman who squeezed on to the only spare seat in the bus shelter while a homeless man’s camp took up half of the available space – said: ‘Windsor never used to be like this. I don’t believe that these are all genuine cases of people who’ve really got nowhere else to go.’