In the first hours of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday, he was arrested and held in custody for 11 hours – disrupting his plans to spend the day alone
The former prince spent 11 hours in police custody on his birthday(Image: AP)
Before police descended on the Sandringham estate to arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday, he had plans to spend the day alone.
At least six police cars arrived at Wood Farm on Thursday morning at 8am, arresting the former prince on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew had woken up alone on the Norfolk estate, now officially a pensioner, when the police convoy swooped in.
The disgraced royal went on to spend 11 hours in custody at the Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk, before he was eventually released on Thursday evening, with Thames Valley Police confirming Andrew was under investigation.
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The former prince had other plans for his birthday, not expecting to be met with a swarm of police officers on the morning he turned 66. According to a friend, Andrew was planning on having a quiet day at his temporary home at Sandringham.
A friend of Andrew’s told The Sun : “The plan was to spend a quiet and lonely 66th birthday at Wood Farm as no one was coming round to celebrate with him, not even Fergie or their two children Beatrice and Eugenie. He was expecting to spend the day with seven dogs, instead he had 15 coppers at his door.”
With no visits from friends and family planned or expected, Andrew was set to spend the day alone with two corgis which used to belong to his mum, the late Queen Elizabeth, and five Norfolk terriers.
Police descended on Wood Farm Cottage, arresting the former prince before they carried out hours-long searches of both Sandringham and Andrew’s former home of Royal Lodge in Windsor.
After he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Andrew spent 11 hours in police custody at Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk before he was released on Thursday evening. As he left the police station, he was photographed looking downcast in the back of a car, while authorities confirmed that an investigation is now underway.
Thames Valley Police said the former prince was released under investigation and searches on the Sandringham Estate had concluded. Its statement said: “Thames Valley Police is able to provide an update in relation to an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office. On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrested man has now been released under investigation. We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded.”
Andrew was detained following allegations that he shared reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, during his time as trade envoy to the UK.
In response to the arrest, King Charles said in a statement that “the law must take its course” after expressing his “deepest concern” over the arrest, which came after millions of files were released by the US Department of Justice in relation to the Epstein scandal.
The King said in a written statement on Thursday morning: “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”
