Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, once a prominent figure in the British royal family, has faced yet another setback as his firearms license has been revoked. This recent development adds to the ongoing controversies surrounding the former Duke of York, known for his passion for hunting and ownership of a collection of shotguns and rifles.
The 65-year-old ex-royal frequently organized shooting gatherings at prestigious royal estates such as Sandringham and Balmoral. According to a report by The Sun, these events were regular fixtures in Andrew’s social calendar. However, his past associations have now come under intense scrutiny.
One notable incident that has resurfaced involved a birthday celebration for Ghislaine Maxwell, a known associate of Jeffrey Epstein, which Andrew hosted at Sandringham in the year 2000. During a subsequent interview with Newsnight, he attempted to describe the occasion as merely “a straightforward shooting weekend,” downplaying the connections to the scandal.
In light of these controversies, the Metropolitan Police, tasked with royal and diplomatic protection, reportedly paid a visit to Andrew’s current residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor last November. Sources indicate that the ex-duke engaged a valet to handle interactions with the Met’s specialized officers, who are said to have subjected him to a rigorous examination.
The Met Police, who are responsible for royal and diplomatic protection, reportedly visited Andrew at his current home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, in November.
Sources claim that Andrew used a valet to deal with the Met’s specialist officers, who reportedly gave the ex-duke a ‘pretty thorough’ grilling.
Officers are not thought to have confiscated Andrew’s firearms, but imposed severe sanctions on how the weapons are stored and who is able to access them.
The decision to revoke Andrew’s license follows a security review, and means he will no longer be able to transport or use his firearms except under strict expert supervision.
The news that the Met Police have revoked Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s gun license will come as a blow to the former duke, as he has long fancied himself a seasoned huntsman. Pictured: Andrew clutching a shotgun at the North Wales Shooting School back in 1982
The former Duke Of York on a royal shoot at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk in December 1992
Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Ghislaine Maxwell (right) as visitors of the then Prince Andrew at Sandringham in December 2000. Andrew later sought to paint the visit in his disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview as ‘a straightforward shooting weekend’
Back in October, royal insiders told the Daily Mail that one option being considered was to stop Andrew from hosting shooting parties on royal estates.
Reports suggest there have been numerous shooting parties in Windsor Great Park over the last few months.
However, the duke has not been spotted at any such gathering since he was stripped of his royal titles by the King.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: ‘On Wednesday November 19, firearms licensing officers attended an address in Windsor to request that a man in his 60s voluntarily surrender his firearms and shotgun certificate.
‘The certificate was surrendered, and we will be not be commenting any further at this stage.’
The move comes on the back of claims that Andrew asked his police protection officer to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre, one of the women who claimed to have slept with Andrew after being procured by Epstein.
The former Duke of York has repeatedly and vehemently denied her claims.
The Met announced a little over a week ago that it will not launch a criminal investigation after the Mail on Sunday exposed how Andrew embroiled both the police and one of Queen Elizabeth’s most senior aides in a campaign to smear Ms Giuffre.
A bombshell email published by the MoS in October showed how Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded personal protection officer – part of the Met’s elite SO14 Royalty Protection Group – to investigate Mrs Giuffre and passed him her date of birth and confidential US social security number.
The Met had said it was ‘actively looking’ into the revelations and detectives also began poring over Mrs Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs, in which she alleged she was trafficked to London in 2001 by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew.
However, Detective Chief Superintendent Ella Marriott said on December 13 that the force ‘will be taking no further action’ after conducting an eight-week assessment that ‘has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct’.
In a hard-hitting response, Mrs Giuffre’s family said they were ‘deeply disappointed’ by the decision and revealed that it came only a day after a Met detective had asked them whether they had any new evidence to provide.
‘We are deeply disappointed that the Metropolitan Police have dropped their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor without explanation and without speaking with us, Virginia’s family,’ they said in a statement.
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Prince Andrew pictured hosting a shooting party on the Windsor estate for his friends in January last year
The revoking of Andrew’s gun license is the latest blow to the ex-duke, after he was stripped of his royal titles in October by King Charles following the release of new emails between the disgraced prince and serial convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Pictured: The pair seen walking together in New York in 2011
Marsh Farm, located seven miles west of his brother King Charles’ lavish country retreat, is reportedly being eyed up for when he leaves Royal Lodge
Andrew is also due to be leaving Royal Lodge soon and moving into a residence on the King’s Sandringham estate, rumoured to be Marsh Farm.
It has been suggested that this could be another reason that the Met acted to remove the ex-duke’s gun license.
‘It is also a factor that he is due to be moving soon — and gun licence holders have to inform authorities how their weapons would be kept at new addresses,’ a source said.
‘He will now not be able to do things like use guns on his own or even transport them unless he is under strict supervision. It is a real blow to him.’
Marsh Farm, located seven miles west of his brother King Charles’ lavish country retreat, is reportedly being eyed up for when he leaves Royal Lodge.
The Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed that the former duke is set to swap his 30-room mansion for a ‘shoebox-sized’ holding property on a remote part of the King’s private Norfolk estate.
The property he will eventually move into is understood to be currently under extensive renovation in preparation for his arrival, which suggests that it will be a substantial home, though still much smaller than Royal Lodge.
The estate’s no-fly zone is also reported to have been expanded to include Marsh Farm ahead of Andrew’s arrival.
The Met Police and representatives for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have been contacted for comment.
