The incident occurred at around 7:30pm, according to reports. Prince Andrew and a member of his private security team rushed to their car after the man approached. The prince was reportedly tackled by his guards, and the suspect's car was searched for potential weapons. Andrew is said to be 'deeply shaken' by the encounter. The suspect's motive and whether he was armed remain unclear, as do the specific charges on which he was arrested. Andrew has not made any public statement about the incident. The arrest has prompted questions about the adequacy of private security for the prince, who lost his state-funded police protection in early 2022. The suspect remains in custody as investigations continue.
The confrontation comes after Prince Andrew moved out of the 30-room Royal Lodge estate at Windsor last month and into a more modest cottage on the Sandringham estate. The move followed the release of further Epstein files containing his name and more images. Andrew has continued to deny any wrongdoing regarding the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. One photo in the Epstein files appeared to show Andrew lying across the laps of five women with Ghislaine Maxwell looking on; the photo is thought to have been taken in the saloon room at Sandringham. According to royal biographer Robert Johson, Andrew hosted a party for Epstein and Maxwell at Sandringham in 2000. Johnson claimed that bathrooms were stocked with poppers, lube, and condoms for the party. 'Staff were stunned to discover the bathrooms were stocked not only with toiletries, but poppers, lube, and condoms,' Johnson said. The incident has raised further concerns about Andrew's past associations, which have already led to his withdrawal from public duties.