Photographer Reveals Luck Behind Iconic Image of Prince Andrew After Arrest
The image of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor cowering in the back of a car after his release from police custody has been splashed across newspapers and websites worldwide. The shamed former royal, who celebrated his 66th birthday yesterday, appeared shellshocked as he was driven away from Aylsham police station in Norfolk just after 7pm.
A Photographer's Journey
The photograph was taken by Reuters photographer Phil Noble, who drove six hours south from his home in Manchester to capture what would become an iconic moment. However, he has since revealed that the snap, which will likely symbolise Andrew's arrest for years to come, was "more luck than judgement."
"Is it the best photo I've ever taken? No. Is it up there with most important? 100 per cent," Mr Noble said. He described yesterday, which marked the first time in modern history a senior royal was treated like a common criminal, as "a proper old school news day."
"You can plan and use your experience and know roughly what you need to do, but still everything needs to align," Mr Noble added. "When you're doing car shots it's more luck than judgment."
The Chase for the Story
Mr Noble, who had been covering floods and football fixtures earlier in the week, began his journey to Norfolk when news broke of an 8am raid at Andrew's home. Journalists knew the former royal had been arrested in the county but that he was being questioned by Thames Valley Police, who cover southeast England. This meant there were potentially 20 or more police stations where Andrew could be held.
Following a tip, Mr Noble headed to a police investigation centre in the historic market town of Aylsham, located an hour from the former Duke of York's Sandringham home. He said there were only a couple of other members of the press there, and after six or seven hours of nothing, he assumed he might be in the wrong place.
Mr Noble packed up and headed down the road to a nearby hotel to stay overnight. But minutes later, he received a call from his Reuters colleague Marissa Davison, saying that Andrew's cars had arrived at the station. Mr Noble raced back, just in time to see the two vehicles leaving at high speed.
The Moment of Capture
The front car contained two police officers, so he aimed his camera and flash at the car behind. Mr Noble took six photographs in total: two showed police, two were blank, one was out of focus. But the remaining one captured the iconic image of Andrew, which has since been used extensively by media worldwide.
Andrew was arrested on his birthday and held in custody for 11 hours. It is understood that the former prince was detained in relation to allegations he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the British government.
Royal and Political Reactions
Andrew's brother, King Charles III, was not given any prior warning of the arrest, although the Daily Mail revealed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's team was informed by a senior officer early on Thursday. The monarch issued an unprecedented statement, saying "the law must take its course" after expressing his "deepest concern" over his younger brother being held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Charles stated: "I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course."
He added: "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all." The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have long been critical of Andrew, are said to support the statement.
Details of the Arrest Operation
The Daily Mail was the first to reveal that plain-clothes police, carried in six unmarked vehicles, arrived at Wood Farm, where Andrew now lives, around 8am on Thursday. One man appeared to be carrying a police-issue laptop. A convoy including at least two royal Land Rovers linked to Andrew was photographed leaving the estate less than an hour later. His arrest was confirmed at 10.08am.
A fine art transportation company van and multiple police vehicles were also seen at Andrew's former Berkshire residence, a few miles south of Windsor Castle. At around 4pm, a dark blue Gander and White van was seen leaving the outer gates of the Windsor Great Park, which surrounds the Royal Lodge estate. Gander and White describes itself as "one of the world's leading fine art logistics companies, providing art storage, transport, installation and customs services."
Two large police vans with tinted windows, each carrying several uniformed officers, were also seen leaving the property. A Thames Valley spokesperson said: "We have today arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office." Norfolk Police said it is "supporting" the Thames Valley investigation but did not initially say if one of its stations was being used by detectives to interview Andrew.
