More than 20 cops swooped on former Prince Andrew’s Sandringham Estate home before he spent 11 hours in custody, probed over allegations he shared confidential trade docs with his pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a UK envoy.
The exiled ex-duke, accused of misconduct in public office, was arrested Thursday on his 66th birthday, had his rights read and fingerprints taken while in police custody, according to the Telegraph.
An ex officer revealed that the squad of Thames Valley cops – who drove around 130 miles to Sandringham, located in eastern England – would likely not have been told the full details as to what their so-called confidential operation, known as a “confie,” entailed.
Andrew was arrested — three months after UK cops emailed the FBI to see if there was an ongoing probe related to the ex-royal’s links with Epstein.
“The team would have simply been told to report to the station in the early hours,” the ex-cop told the Telegraph, detailing the stages before police’s dramatic raid.
“They may have even been told to hand over their mobile phones before being given the final briefing, setting out where they were going and what they were doing.”
After cops arrived at the estate around 8 a.m. local time, Andrew would have been informed of his right to remain silent, as is procedure when someone is arrested under the UK’s Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
“You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence,” arresting officers often say.
Andrew was then whisked to a police station in Aylsham and would’ve been told to hand over possessions such as his cell phone and jewelry.
He was told of his rights to a lawyer, fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken, as reported by the Sun. Andrew was not handcuffed, but it’s not known if he was hurled into a cell.
While Andrew was in custody, searches were carried out at Sandringham and his former home, Royal Lodge – located in Windsor. Andrew was formally turfed out of Royal Lodge earlier this month.
A haggard-looking Andrew left the station at around 7.30 p.m. local time.
Searches at Sandringham finished Thursday night, but investigations at Royal Lodge are ongoing.
Andrew intended to celebrate his birthday quietly – with two corgis and five Norfolk terriers, according to the Sun.
“He was expecting to spend the day with seven dogs, instead he had 15 coppers at his door,” a source told the outlet.
King Charles, Andrew’s brother, said the law must “take its course” following Andrew’s arrest. He was not told about the arrest beforehand.
National Police Chiefs Council officials informed the UK Home Office that the arrest was taking place around 30 minutes before it happened.
Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles last year, has always denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
He could face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
The arrest was strictly related to the allegations of misconduct in public office. If Andrew ends up on trial, it will be known as Rex — Latin for “the king” — versus Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
In 2022, Andrew paid out approximately $16 million to his now-deceased accuser, Virginia Giuffre. She claimed Epstein and his socialite madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, made her to have sex with Andrew three times, starting when she was 17.
Giuffre’s family welcomed Andrew’s arrest, saying “nobody is above the law.”
Andrew was the first royal to be arrested since Charles I in 1647.
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