Disgraced Andrew's 'gun licence revoked' after police visit Royal Lodge in 'real blow' for hunting lover

The disgraced former royal, 65, allegedly agreed to give up the certificate after specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police visited his Royal Lodge home in Windsor, Berkshire, it is understood.

He reportedly sent a valet to speak to police as they showed up at his door and agreed to hand over his collection of shotguns and rifles following discussions.

Officers are not thought to have seized any weapons at the time but put conditions on how they are kept and how they are accessed, according to the Sun.

Police regularly review gun licences and may decide to revoke a licence if there are public safety fears or if the owner has a change of circumstances.

“On Wednesday November 19, firearms licensing officers attended an address in Windsor to request that a man in his 60s voluntarily surrender his firearms and shotgun certificate," the Met said.

The certificate was surrendered, and we will be not be commenting any further at this stage."

Read more: King ‘should evict Andrew’s teddy bears’ in new low for former Duke

Read more: Photo of Andrew lying on laps in Epstein file dump was taken at Sandringham

It marks another blow for Andrew, who is known to be a keen hunter and often attends hunting parties.

In fact, Andrew said in his car crash interview in 2019, where he was grilled on his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, that the financier and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell had come to visit him at the royals’ estate at Sandringham, Norfolk for a “straightforward shooting weekend” back in 2000.

“It is also a factor that he is due to be moving soon — and gun licence holders have to inform authorities how their weapons would be kept at new addresses," a source told the Sun.

"He will now not be able to do things like use guns on his own or even transport them unless he is under strict supervision. It is a real blow to him."

The review came as police looked into claims Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to dig up dirt on Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.

In October, The Mail On Sunday claimed the former Duke of York, the King's brother, passed Ms Giuffre's date of birth and social security number to his close protection officer in 2011, and asked him to investigate as part of a smear campaign against his accuser.

Leaked emails revealed he had asked one of his personal protection officers – part of the Met's elite SO14 Royalty Protection Group - to do this in another email to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth's deputy press secretary.

This astonishing email was sent before the infamous picture of Andrew and 17-year-old Ms Giuffre was published by the Daily Mail.

But earlier this month, Central Specialist Crime Commander Ella Marriott has said the force will not launch an investigation after assessing the claims.

"Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) has carried out a further assessment.

"This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.

Andrew was stripped of his remaining royal titles this month after King Charles instructed the former duke’s membership of the Order of the Garter - an ancient chivalric order - be cancelled.

Andrew’s Knight of the Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order has also been cancelled.

However, according to The Sun, his eviction from the Royal Lodge is set to be delayed for several months due to Andrew’s struggle to downsize.

The former Duke was banished from the monarchy and demoted to a commoner by his brother, the King, because of his "serious lapses of judgment" over his association with convicted sex offender Epstein