Inside the police’s secret operation to arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shocked many and was described by one royal expert as “the most spectacular incident in which a member of the royal family has fallen from grace in modern times”.
Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, compared the situation to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, warning: “It may not be over yet.”
The former prince is facing an investigation for misconduct in public office over his ties to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince, the first senior royal to be arrested in modern history, is accused of sharing sensitive information with Epstein while serving as Britain’s trade envoy.
Thames Valley Police arrested him at Sandringham Manor on Thursday, on what would have been his 66th birthday.
The decision to arrest the former royal would be carefully considered over days of planning by senior officials in the police force. A police officer in charge of the investigation could apply for a search warrant because he needed to persuade a magistrate or district magistrate of the need to raid Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, the Royal Lodge at Windsor, as well as his current home at Wood Farm on the estate.
As part of the raid in which Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, dozens of Thames Valley Police officers, supported by colleagues from Norfolk Constabulary, arrived at Sandringham Estate in unmarked police cars at around 8am.
Thames Valley Police officers will have traveled more than 120 miles from their headquarters in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. A convoy of unmarked police cars arrived at Wood Farm shortly after 8am.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was warned of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest shortly before he was detained, but it is understood neither the King nor Buckingham Palace was given advance warning.
A former police officer said that it was unlikely that the detectives selected for the undercover operation would be given detailed information in advance because they arrived at the police station early in the morning. Telegram.
“They may even have been told to hand over their mobile phones before being given a final briefing stating where they were going and what they were doing,” they said.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at the scene and taken directly in for questioning. The arresting officer would read the official police warning given to all detained suspects: “You do not need to say anything. However, it may be detrimental to your defense if you do not mention something during interrogation that you will rely on later in court.”
He would then be placed in the back of a police car and taken to Aylsham police station, about 35 miles from Sandringham, for formal questioning. Once at the police station, he would be checked by a sergeant who would confirm that the grounds for arrest were lawful before allowing him to be detained.
He would be searched for anything that could harm him or someone else and then be asked to hand over his phone, watch, jewelry, belt or tie.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was to undergo a risk assessment to flag any medical conditions, drink or drug use before he was taken into custody. An officer would then explain his rights, including the right to free and independent legal advice, the right to notify someone of his arrest and the code of practice for his detention.
His fingerprints would probably have been taken before he was taken to a cell with a bed and a toilet. He may also have been offered a cup of tea or a meal.
Thames Valley Police will be under particular pressure to look after Mountbatten Windsor’s welfare given his arrest was incredibly public and his “fall from grace”, according to former Metropolitan Police chief Dal Babu.
He told Sky News: “This is a huge incident. You don’t need to arrest someone you’re investigating; you can ask them to give a statement through their lawyer, you can invite them to the police station without arresting them.”
“I’m guessing they’ll be preparing interviews at this stage. There will be an interview strategy,” he continued. “They will put these questions to Andrew and I think his lawyer will probably advise him not to comment at this stage.
“And once that happens, he will be released under investigation.”
A suspect can generally be detained for up to 24 hours, but this period can be extended to 96 hours if an extension is requested in the magistrates’ court.
Once the detention period ends, most suspects are either charged or released pending further investigation.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was released after being detained for approximately 11 hours. Police said he was released pending investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.
According to Andrew Gilmore, partner at law firm Grosvenor Law, police who raided the former prince’s home in Sandringham and his former residence in the Royal Lodge will have seized all the documents and devices they seized.
“Mr Gilmore told Sky News that police would take back all documents and devices seized today. “These will be processed and examined very carefully. A file will then be created and put together by the police where all the evidence will be evaluated.”
The official added that the file will then be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, where lawyers will examine it and decide whether to charge the former prince.
This can take from six months to a year, depending on the extent of evidence.
