LONDON  –  Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is understood to have voluntarily surrendered his gun licence after a visit from the Metropolitan Police. Officers attended the former prince’s Royal Lodge residence in Windsor last month, ahead of his expected house move in the new year.  A Met Police spokesperson said: “On Wednesday, 19 November, Metropolitan Police firearms licensing officers attended an address in Windsor to request that a man in his 60s voluntarily surrender his firearms and shotgun certificate.”  The force said the certificate was surrendered but did not comment further.  It is not clear why the former prince – a known hunting enthusiast gave up his licence, but the decision means he can only use or transport his guns if supervised. Surrendering a certificate does not mean the individual will not have access to their firearms. Andrew is expected to move to Norfolk in the new year, after he was stripped of his titles over his links to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince will move to an undisclosed property on the Sandringham estate, which is privately owned by his brother, King Charles III.

In October, Buckingham Palace said the move would take place “as soon as possible and practicable”. Andrew’s connection to Epstein came under scrutiny again last week after a photo of him lying on the laps of women was released by the US government as part of the Epstein files. The King’s brother was one of many well-known figures to be pictured in the files, and appearing in them is not evidence of a crime. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.