Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been ruthlessly mocked by social media users after he was arrested on the morning of his 66th birthday.
The former Duke of York was detained by officers during an 8am raid on his new home at Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate, on Thursday.
Thames Valley Police confirmed the disgraced royal had been arrested a few hours later, with officers able to hold him without charge for 24 hours from the time he arrived at a police station.
He was later photographed in the back of a car leaving Aylsham police station in Norfolk shortly after 7pm.
Memes of Andrew’s arrest – which happened to take place on his birthday – have gone viral on social media, with some raking in tens of thousands of likes and shares.
One post on X shows a photo of the former duke grinning next to an image of him with a straight face, alongside the caption: ‘Prince Andrew before and after he realised the Birthday stripper was a real policewoman.’
Another shows a photo of two female cops looking through the glass door of a house, accompanied by the words: ‘No, Mr Mountbatten – we’re not stripper-grams.’
One AI-generated image shows Andrew with a tiny cupcake and candle while sitting inside a prison cell in jail scrubs, with ‘Happy Birthday’ written on the walls.
A meme on X shows a photo of Andrew grinning next to an image of him with a straight face, alongside the caption: ‘Prince Andrew before and after he realised the Birthday stripper was a real policewoman’
An AI-generated image shows Andrew with a cupcake and candle while sitting inside a prison cell
Another post on TikTok reads: ‘Prince Andrew after realising it’s the actual police at his door and not a stripper on his birthday’
The royal has also been mocked on TikTok, with one video showing a series of men with their head in their hands alongside the caption: ‘Prince Andrew after realising it’s the actual police at his door and not a stripper on his birthday.’
Another meme featuring an anxious muppet character reads: ‘Andrew wondering why the people turning up are holding handcuffs instead of his birthday cake.’
In a statement on Thursday evening, Thames Valley Police said ‘a man in his sixties’ was released under investigation.
A spokesperson added that searches being conducted in Norfolk, relating to Andrew’s new residence, Wood Farm, have concluded.
It is understood the former Duke of York was arrested in relation to allegations he passed sensitive information to convicted paepdophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the British government.
Andrew’s brother King Charles was not given any prior warning of the arrest, it emerged on Thursday, although the Daily Mail revealed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s team was informed by a senior officer early this morning.
The monarch said in an unprecedented statement that ‘the law must take its course’ after expressing his ‘deepest concern’ after his younger brother was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
One meme on X shows Andrew behind some metal bars, which look similar to those of a prison cell
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been mocked by social media users after he was arrested
A meme featuring a muppet character reads: ‘Andrew wondering why the people turning up are holding handcuffs instead of his birthday cake’
The unprecedented statement from the King after his brother’s arrest where he said he supported the police’s action and that he and the Royal Family would co-operate fully
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BREAKING NEWS Arrested Andrew is pictured being released from police custody
Charles said: ‘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 Prince and Princess of Wales are said to support the statement.
The Daily Mail was the first to reveal that plain-clothes police, carried in six unmarked vehicles, had arrived at Wood Farm, where Andrew now lives, at around 8am this morning.
Tiny Norfolk town where Andrew was grilled in custody
Aylsham is a historic market town with a population of 10,000.
It is one of three ‘Cittaslow’ towns in the UK, which aim to slow down the pace of life while also enhancing quality of living.
It was founded around 500AD and granted the right to hold a market by Henry VIII in the 16th century.
But despite its quaint and sleepy atmosphere, Aylsham is also home to a large modern police station, where Andrew was interrogated yesterday.
The facility was built in 2011 to replace the outdated former station with a more functional, high-capacity site containing specialised interview rooms and a suite of custody cells.
Aylsham Police Station where Andrew was interrogated yesterday
The facility was built in 2011 to replace the outdated former station. It has specialised interview rooms and a suite of custody cells
