Ex-Prince Andrew in 'Dark Place' After Firearms Licence Loss, Royals Fear He's a 'Ticking Time Bomb'

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been forced to hand over his firearms licence after police turned up at Royal Lodge demanding he surrender his weapons certificate.

The former Duke of York, 65, gave up his shotgun and firearms certificate on 19 November 2025 following a visit from the Met's firearms licensing unit, the BBC confirmed. He did not speak to officers directly. They dealt with his valet instead.

A Met spokesperson would only say the certificate had been surrendered, and no further details were given. However, palace sources paint a grimmer picture.

The beleaguered Andrew is said to be in a dark place since his brother, King Charles, stripped him of his titles back in October. One insider told the National Examiner he swings between rage and despair, wallowing in self-pity and telling anyone who will listen that his life has been gutted.

Staff Checking On Him Constantly

The decision to take away his gun licence was not routine. Radar Online reported that concern had been mounting about giving Andrew access to weapons. The worry was not just about recklessness. It was about his own safety.

Staff at Royal Lodge now check on him constantly. That is happening on the King's direct orders, according to sources, who described the arrangement as a discreet form of welfare monitoring. There is real anxiety that his mental state has nosedived since he lost his royal status.

Riding Alone In The Rain

The gun surrender came weeks before Christmas 2025, when Andrew was conspicuously absent from the family festivities. While his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, walked to church at Sandringham alongside the King, Andrew was spotted riding alone through Windsor Park in the pouring rain.

Losing his shooting privileges has apparently sent him over the edge. Sources say he has been telling people his late mother Queen Elizabeth II would never have allowed this to happen, according to reports. He believes she would be rolling in her grave at the humiliation.

Andrew used to be a fixture at shooting weekends on the royal estates. He would host exclusive gatherings at Sandringham and Balmoral for wealthy friends and business contacts. One such event in 2000 saw Ghislaine Maxwell celebrate her 39th birthday with a pheasant hunt. Jeffrey Epstein was there, too.

His guns are still stored at Royal Lodge, but he can only touch them now under strict expert supervision. New conditions govern who can access the weapons and how they are stored.

Even His Own Daughters Have Walked Away

Princess Eugenie, 35, has reportedly cut off all contact with her father. The Mail on Sunday reported there has been zero communication between them. Her older sister Beatrice, 37, is trying to keep one foot in each camp, but the balancing act is clearly taking its toll.

Nobody in the family is willing to stick their neck out for him anymore. Even his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has been living with him in the 30-room mansion, will have to find her own place once he moves out.

Andrew will soon be turfed out of Royal Lodge and packed off to a smaller property on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. It is a long way from Windsor and the centre of royal activity.

One palace source put it bluntly. They described Andrew as a ticking time bomb. The family is keeping their distance and hoping he does not do anything to make things worse.

King Charles formally removed Andrew's titles, honours, and HRH status on 30 October 2025 after fresh revelations about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre's memoir, which detailed her allegations against him, piled on the pressure. Andrew maintains he did nothing wrong.

Originally published on IBTimes UK