In the waning days of 2025, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the scandal-shadowed former Prince Andrew, faced yet another subtle but significant downgrade to his diminished status. The 65-year-old voluntarily surrendered his firearms and shotgun certificate following a discreet visit from Metropolitan Police officers to his residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor. While no weapons were confiscated, the move imposes strict new controls: he can no longer transport or handle his prized guns independently, requiring expert supervision for any use. For a man long known as an avid huntsman who once hosted high-profile shooting parties on royal estates, this restriction strikes at the heart of a cherished pastime, symbolizing another door quietly closing on his former privileges and sense of authority.
The development unfolded in November 2025, when specialist firearms licensing officers from the Met—responsible for royal and diplomatic protection—arrived at Royal Lodge. Sources describe the encounter as low-key but thorough, with Andrew reportedly delegating a staff member to handle initial interactions while officers conducted a detailed review of his circumstances. The surrender occurred on November 19, prompted by what authorities termed a routine but necessary security assessment. A Met Police spokesperson confirmed the visit, stating that a man in his 60s had voluntarily handed over the certificate, with no further comment offered.
This latest indignity arrives amid a tumultuous year for Andrew, marked by escalating scrutiny over his historical ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In October 2025, King Charles formally stripped him of all remaining royal titles, including the style of His Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince, leaving him known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The decision followed the release of new emails and documents from Epstein’s estate, reigniting public and media interest in their association. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but the fallout has isolated him further from royal life.
The firearms restriction feels particularly poignant given Andrew’s longstanding passion for shooting. Over decades, he was a fixture at exclusive hunting events on estates like Sandringham, Balmoral, and Windsor, often hosting gatherings for friends and dignitaries. Photographs from earlier years show him clad in tweeds, shotgun in hand, embodying the aristocratic tradition of field sports. One infamous “shooting weekend” at Sandringham in 2000 even included Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell as guests—a detail Andrew once dismissed lightly in his controversial 2019 Newsnight interview as “just a straightforward shooting weekend.” Now, with his licence surrendered, those days appear firmly behind him. He has not been seen at recent royal shoots, and sources call the change a “real blow” to his personal freedoms.
Insiders suggest the review was triggered by a combination of factors: Andrew’s impending relocation from the 30-room Royal Lodge to a smaller property on the Sandringham estate, ongoing public safety considerations amid tighter national guidelines for licence holders, and his altered circumstances post-title revocation. Firearms certificates require notification of address changes involving weapon storage, and stricter protocols—introduced in recent years emphasizing integrity checks and risk assessments—have led to more rigorous enforcement. While voluntary on paper, the surrender underscores a broader pattern of erosion in Andrew’s autonomy.
Royal watchers interpret this as more than administrative routine—a symbolic stripping of yet another layer of his once-untouchable status. No longer able to independently enjoy a hobby tied to his identity as a countryman and former naval officer, Andrew faces practical limitations that extend beyond paperwork. His collection of high-end shotguns and rifles remains on the premises, secured under new protocols, but access is now heavily restricted.
The timing adds to the sting, coming just before the holiday season and Andrew’s expected move in the new year. He spent Christmas quietly at Royal Lodge with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, absent from the traditional Sandringham gatherings—a further sign of his estrangement from the core royal family. As he prepares to downsize, these constraints serve as a quiet reminder of lost influence.
Andrew’s fall from grace has been gradual but relentless since 2019, when allegations from Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre led to his withdrawal from public duties. A civil settlement followed in 2022, and renewed document releases in 2025 have kept the controversy alive. The Met recently closed an inquiry into separate claims without action, but the cumulative effect has reshaped his life profoundly.
For a figure once emblematic of royal privilege—jet-setting, deal-making, and enjoying elite pursuits—this firearms adjustment feels like a cutting, understated rebuke. It hits not with drama, but with the quiet finality of bureaucracy, closing off one more avenue of his former power. As doors continue to shut, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s world grows ever smaller, a far cry from the expansive estates and unchecked freedoms of yesteryear.
