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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal: Awful codename cops gave disgraced former prince

Eloise BudimlichThe Nightly
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VideoPrince Andrew is facing pressure from Buckingham Palace to voluntarily remove himself from the royal line of succession, where he currently sits eighth in line.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been slapped with a new plain nickname by police following his arrest.

The disgraced former prince was taken into custody on February 19, his 66th birthday, and questioned for 11 hours before he was released back to Sandringham.

The investigation into his suspected misconduct in public office remains ongoing, as the shroud of the ex-duke’s connection to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continues to loom over the royal family.

According to a report by The Sun, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, who is well-known for being tethered to his public status, is facing a nickname that to him would be even worse than just “Andy”.

When he was in custody, he was referred to as “Detainee A” in an effort to avoid claims of favourable treatment.

Most officers who weren’t involved in the actual arrest weren’t told that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested. Instead they were told a “notable figure” had been taken into custody as part of Operation Ironville.

An unidentified source told The Sun that the codename “brings it home doesn’t it?”

“To go from Prince and Duke and Earl, Baron, Knight — all those fancy titles then suddenly you’re Detainee A,” they said.

“He must have thought just being plain ‘Andy’ was awful at one point. I don’t suppose he thought it could get much worse.”

The source went on to explain that Norfolk police are “fed up” that the former prince has “effectively been dumped on them and made their problem”.

“The only way left for them to deal with the frustration is through humour — so they all keep joking they have ‘a notable person’ to arrest,” the source said. “They wish he had never left Windsor.”

The investigation hinges on on allegation that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor gave sensitive information to Epstein while he held the role of trade envoy. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

King Charles stripped his brother of his princely title on October 30 in the wake of the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. The Australian-American victim of Epstein alleged that she was made to have sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor three times.

In the last few rounds of disclosure of the Epstein files, a slew of images and correspondence involving both the former prince and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have only added to the public’s outrage.

A photo of former Prince Andrew leaning released by US officials.
Camera IconA photo of former Prince Andrew leaning released by US officials. Credit: US Department of Justice/Supplied

The pair, who have been divorced for nearly 30 years, still lived together at the Royal Lodge before they were given the boot in early February.

They left under the cover of darkness, with several reports claiming the ex-duchess had been sneaking in and out for weeks with boxes.

Sarah Ferguson did keep up her correspondence with Epstein while he was imprisoned in the late 2000s for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

On Epstein’s dime, she also flew to New York City with her two daughters, Princesses Beatrice (then 21-years-old) and Eugenie (then 19-years-old), to meet him after he was released in July 2009.

According to the emails, she brought her daughters to a lunch with Epstein, and also asked his management to upgrade her flights home. Epstein refused the request.

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