In Andrew Windsor’s bare prison cell after he was arrested
Andrew Windsor spent his 66th birthday not in the faded grandeur of his old $40 million Royal Lodge mansion, but in what a former agent said RadarOnline.com would have been a prison cell the size of a ‘boxroom’ – complete with a sofa bed, a semi-screened toilet and a shoddy microwaved meal.
The fallen former prince and ex-duke was arrested at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk shortly after 8am on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Officers from Thames Valley Police took him to Aylsham police station for questioning as part of an investigation into allegations that, while serving as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, he passed sensitive emails to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. He was released later that evening under investigation.
For a man accustomed to the splendor of 31 rooms of his former Lodge home in Windsor Great Park and an entourage of staff, conditions in detention would have been brutal.
An ex-Metropolitan Police detective said: ‘The cell he was placed in would have been extremely compact – comparable in size to a small guest room in an ordinary suburban house. ‘It would have been functional, not comfortable, and certainly not designed with status in mind.
“But police custody does not operate on a sliding scale of privileges. There is no such thing as a premium option, no better mattress, no special catering. Everyone gets the same standard package: basic bedding, basic amenities and food that is usually heated in a microwave. Rank, wealth and background count for nothing once the cell door closes.”
The booking procedures added by the source were also said to have been strictly followed when it came to dealing with Andrew. On arrival, the shamed former royal was said to have been brought before a custody sergeant, informed of the reasons for his detention, and read his rights, including access to legal advice and the right to inform someone of his arrest.
He would then have undergone a medical and welfare assessment. As a precaution, belts, ties and shoelaces are routinely removed to reduce the risk of self-harm.
The cell facilities were said to have been austere. A police source said: “Inside there would have been the bare minimum: a stainless steel toilet in the corner and a narrow sofa against the wall with a thin, washable mattress on it. That’s it. No furniture, no personal touches, nothing that could be described as comfortable.”
The insider added that the mattress would be just a few inches thick and covered in vinyl, with a standard blanket for warmth. The toilet, he explained, is only shielded by a half-height partition that provides limited privacy, and the entire cell area is subject to CCTV in accordance with modern custody procedures.
Another police source said there would have been no recognition of Andrew’s birthday. They added: “Absolutely not! There is no special treatment because it happens to be your birthday. Custody is guardianship. It is designed to be neutral and procedural, and not to be a party or celebration.”
He continued, “There would be no cake, no card, no joy. At most, the custody sergeant could have noted the date of birth while filling out the paperwork, but that would not have been a time for jokes or light-hearted comments. The atmosphere in a custody suite is serious, and officers are focused on process and welfare, not marking milestones.”
The insider added: “The food would probably have consisted of a reheated ready meal and tea served in a plastic cup. It’s an intensely lonely environment. Once the cell door closes you’re left alone with nothing but bare walls and your own thoughts.
There is no television, no radio, no phone to scroll through, no distractions whatsoever. You don’t share the space and you don’t get entertained. Time moves slowly in a cell because there is simply nothing to keep you busy other than waiting for the next stage of the process, which is interviewing.”
After consultation with his lawyer, Andrew is said to have been cautiously questioned before returning to custody until his release. Another police source emphasized that once a detainee is released, officers will no longer provide further transportation.
They said: “We are not a chauffeur company. When someone is released from custody it is their responsibility to provide their own lift.” In a case like this, it is unthinkable that Andrew would have had to solve it alone. I expected security or a private driver to be waiting to pick him up.”
Reflecting on the contrast with his former lifestyle, the source added: “Walking out of a prison suite after a day in a bare cell is a sobering experience for anyone. For someone used to the scale and comfort of Royal Lodge, the shift from that level of privilege to a grim police station environment would have been dizzying. The distance between those two worlds would have felt very real by the time he stepped outside into the cold.”
