It’s been one week since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at his Sandringham home, with the last seven days turning the Firm upside down as they continue to grapple with the fallout
It’s been one week since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday, after police swooped in on his temporary home on the Sandringham estate. In the seven days that have followed, the Royal Family have issued statements in support of the police and been subject to heckling, while the York family continue to lay low.
The investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor is still ongoing while the the Firm is attempting to steer away from the unprecedented scandal. Here, we have wrapped up all the updates on the former Duke of York’s arrest, and what lies in store for the disgraced royal….
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Shock arrest
It was exactly seven days ago on the morning of Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday that police descended on the Sandringham estate at around 8am. At least six unmarked cars with eight officers in plain clothes carrying police-issued laptops were spotted driving into Wood Farm before he was arrested It came after allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his role as UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
The disgraced royal was taken to Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk where he spent 11 hours in custody. Policing commentator Danny Shaw told the BBC that Andrew would have been placed in “a cell in a custody suite” with just “a bed and a toilet” while he waited for his police interview, adding on the day of the arrest: “There’ll be no special treatment for him”.
Andrew was released later that day around 7pm with Thames Valley Police confirming he is now officially under investigation. Andrew was photographed as he was driven back to Wood Farm, appearing wide-eyed and slumped as he tried to hide from the view of a flock of eager photographers. Body language expert Judi James analysed the image, telling the Mirror : “Although the shock does appear to be obvious from his face here, we maybe shouldn’t underestimate Andrew’s desire to still cling on to the notion of status and being in control.”
Police spent Andrew’s birthday conducting searches on the Sandringham estate that had concluded by the time he left custody, with extensive searches at his former home of Royal Lodge spanning several days and officially coming to an end on Tuesday night.
Former Met Detective Chief Inspector David McKelvey explained the search process, saying: “They will be broken down into groups with a team leader who will have an exhibits book to log every item, detailing when and where it was found for continuity of evidence. If you do the job properly you take the thing to pieces and it will involve the lifting of floorboards and inserting fibre optic cameras into enclosed spaces.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror of the arrest: “I think the royal family are both shocked and horrified by the events of the past week or so. The fallout from the Epstein files must be worse than their worst nightmare. They say they want to keep the focus on the victims of Epstein‘s abuse, but that is proving impossible as history is made by the first royal to be arrested in more than 300 years.”
Royal reaction
In the hours after Andrew’s arrest, his brother King Charles issued a statement saying “the law must take its course”. In a written statement from Buckingham Palace, Charles spoke of his “deepest concern” following Andrew’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The King said in a written statement : “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. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.” The message was signed “Charles R.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales were fully in support of Charles’ statement, but did not issue a statement of their own. In the days after the arrest as the investigation into Andrew’s alleged misconduct continues, King Charles gave his permission for staff to hand over sensitive documents and files relating to his brother’s work as the UK’s trade envoy, it is understood.
And Jennie said there may be “difficult times ahead” for the Royal Family as the investigation continues, adding: “No wonder William is not ‘in a calm state’. He is, I believe, seething with anger. His disgraced uncle has brought the very future of the monarchy into question. Answers are now being demanded about how much the family knew about Andrew’s friendship with Epstein and his alleged misconduct as trade envoy. The King and William need to prove that there was no Palace cover-up.”
Heckled on duty
Just hours after Mountbatten-Windsor was taken to the police station in Norfolk, Queen Camilla stepped out for an event in London, being the first member of the Royal Family to be seen in public after the former prince was taken into custody.
Camilla appeared at Sinfonia Smith Square concert hall in London to meet musicians and watch performances by the orchestra. Camilla was in good spirits as she was greeted by representatives of Sinfonia Smith Square. As she was leaving the event, an onlooker called out: “Are you concerned about Andrew’s arrest, Your Majesty?” Camilla ignored the question.
King Charles was the next royal out and about after the arrest, appearing in central London to kick off London Fashion Week. He arrived at the event to a mixture of shouts, cheers and groans from members of the public crowding the streets. He was also questioned about his brother’s arrest, but ignored them.
Princess Anne was also quizzed about her brother on the day of his arrest, as she carried out engagements in Yorkshire and was met with a heckler who questioned: “What’s your reaction to your brother’s arrest, you royal highness?” She also ignored the question.
Over the weekend, Prince William and Princess Kate hit the red carpet for the annual BAFTAs in their first joint appearance since Andrew’s arrest. The Prince and Princess of Wales were briefly confronted about the Andrew situation, as one person could be heard shouting the question: “Is the monarchy in peril?” Neither the Prince nor Princess could be seen reacting to the line of inquiry.
Line of succession axe
In the wake of the arrest, sources claimed that Mountbatten-Windsor could be removed from the line of succession under plans considered by the government. Sources suggest the government will begin consultation after the conclusion of multiple police investigations into allegations surrounding Andrew’s conduct.
The disgraced former prince would be removed by an Act of Parliament but only after agreement with the 14 British realms. Due to this, the Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese wrote to Keir Starmer to say he would back any plan. Australia, where King Charles is the head of state, was the first Commonwealth realm to publicly support the landmark move.
Mr Albanese wrote in his letter to Mr Starmer: “In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my Government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession. I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation. These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.”
Following suit, a spokesperson for New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon said: “If the UK Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.” Jennie Bond weighed in on the argument, saying: “Of course, Andrew should be removed from the line of succession. If you are not fit to be a prince, you’re certainly not fit to be King.”
Protection officers quizzed
Meanwhile, as part of the investigation into Andrew’s misconduct, Mountbatten-Windsor’s former close protection officers are being quizzed by detectives over the disgraced royal’s relationship with the paedophile Epstein.
On Friday, the Met Police issued a statement asking if anyone in Andrew’s inner circle saw or heard anything relevant to the ongoing probes into the ex-prince’s links with Epstein.
It said: “The Met is identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely, in a protection capacity, with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant.”
The process will involve tracking down and speaking to scores of officers and is likely a reflection of the pressure the Met is under having previously declined to investigate Andrew in 2016, after Virginia Giuffre filed court papers in Florida alleging she was trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew while she was a minor. Andrew vehemently denies all allegations.
Yorks in hiding
Since Andrew’s arrest, the disgraced royal has not been seen, but is believed to have been lying low at Sandringham as the investigation into his misconduct remains ongoing.
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has not been seen in public for several months, with most recent reports claiming she is hiding out somewhere in the UK, “laying low with friends” and “in constant tears”, with a friend saying she has become “paranoid” that her location will be discovered.
As for their daughters, Princess Eugenie was spotted in London’s Notting Hill on Tuesday grabbing coffee with her husband Jack Brooksbank, after reports that the couple, along with their children and a group of friends, had been enjoying a half-term skiing holiday in Switzerland.
Princess Beatrice has not been seen since Andrew was arrested, but was last photographed on the Windsor estate in late January, as the princess and her daughter Sienna joined Andrew for his weekly horse-riding lesson before he was kicked out of Royal Lodge.
Landmark motion
On Tuesday, it was decreed that documents about Mountbatten-Windsor’s role as a UK trade envoy will be released, as a minister branded him “a rude, arrogant and entitled man”. The Liberal Democrats used an arcane Commons tool known as a humble address to compel ministers to disclose information about the disgraced former prince’s appointment to the role he held between 2001 and 2011.
Trade minister Sir Chris Bryant said the Government would not oppose the motion, which later passed on the nod without need for a formal vote, but he warned nothing could be published that would jeopardise a police probe.
Sir Chris described Andrew as “a man on a constant self-aggrandising and self-enriching hustle” and “a rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest, which he said he served, and his own private interest”.
In a speech supporting the motion, the minister added: “Frankly, it is the least we owe the victims of the horrific abuse that was perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein and others, the abuse that was enabled, aided and abetted by a very extensive group of arrogant, entitled and often very wealthy individuals in this country and elsewhere. It’s not just the people who participated in the abuse. It’s the many, many more who turned a blind eye out of greed, familiarity or deference.”
Next steps
Thames Valley Police is continuing its investigation into Andrew’s alleged misconduct during his role as UK trade envoy, while various other police forces are following lines of inquiry that emerged after the release of the latest tranche of the Epstein files. None of the actions of the other police forces relates to the arrest of Andrew.
The Met Police, Surrey Police, Norfolk Constabulary, Wiltshire Police, Police Scotland, Essex Police, Bedfordshire Police and West Midlands Police are all looking into information relating to the Epstein files, many of which are due to links to local airports.
Jennie offered her advice for the royals over the coming weeks, telling the Mirror: “By all accounts, the police investigation is going to take a considerable amount of time. Just how long Andrew can stay completely out of sight is difficult to say. But it’s hard to imagine that he will get anything but a hostile reception if and when he is seen in public.
“In the meantime, they have no choice but to carry on with their work. But I think perhaps they should stop ignoring questions shouted from the crowds. It might help if they simply acknowledged the questions and repeated that they are doing everything they can to cooperate with the police investigation.”
