EXCLUSIVE: Inside Andrew Windsor's Bare 'Boxroom' Jail Cell After He Was Hauled Out of Luxury For Epstein Probe — Including Anti-Suicide Cops' Move, Grim Bench Bed and Measly Microwaved 'Birthday Meal'
Andrew Windsor's time behind bars is said to have been a nightmare.
Feb. 20 2026, Published 7:10 p.m. ET
Andrew Windsor spent his 66th birthday not in the faded grandeur of his old $40million Royal Lodge mansion, but inside what one former cop told RadarOnline.com would have been a "boxroom-sized" jail cell – complete with a bench bed, half-screened toilet, and a sloppy microwaved meal.
The fallen former prince and ex-duke was arrested shortly after 8 am on February 19 at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police officers transported the former royal to Aylsham police station shortly after 8 am.
Officers from Thames Valley Police transported him to Aylsham police station for questioning as part of an investigation into allegations that, while serving as the U.K.'s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, he passed sensitive emails to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. He was released under investigation later that evening.
From 31 Rooms to a Bare Holding Cell
The former prince spent the day on a thin, vinyl-covered mattress fixed to a wall.
For a man accustomed to the 31-room splendor of his former Lodge home in Windsor Great Park and a retinue of staff, the conditions in custody would have been brutal.
One ex-Metropolitan Police detective said: "The holding cell he was placed in would have been extremely compact – comparable in size to a small spare box room in an ordinary suburban house. "It would have been functional, not comfortable, and certainly not designed with status in mind.
"But police custody does not operate on a sliding scale of privilege. There is no such thing as a premium option, no better mattress, no special catering. Everyone receives the same standard issue – basic bedding, basic facilities, and food that is typically reheated in a microwave. Rank, wealth, and background count for nothing once that cell door closes."
'Nothing That Could Be Described as Comfortable'
The ex-duke is believed to have consumed a reheated microwaved meal and tea served in a plastic cup.
The source added booking procedures would also have been strictly followed when it came to handling Andrew. On arrival, the shamed former royal would have been brought before a custody sergeant, informed of the grounds for his detention, and read his rights, including access to legal advice and the right to notify someone of his arrest.
He would then have undergone a medical and welfare assessment. As a precaution, belts, ties, and shoelaces are routinely removed to reduce the risk of self-harm.
The cell facilities would have been austere. A police source said: "Inside, there will have been the bare minimum – a stainless steel toilet in the corner and a narrow bench fixed to the wall with a thin, wipe-clean mattress on top. That's it. No furnishings, no personal touches, nothing that could be described as comfortable."
The insider added that the mattress would be only a few inches thick and covered in vinyl, with a standard-issue blanket provided for warmth. The toilet, he explained, is screened only by a half-height partition offering limited privacy, and the entire cell area is subject to CCTV monitoring in line with modern custody procedures.
Another policing source said there would have been no acknowledgment of Andrew's birthday. They added: "Absolutely not! There is no special treatment because it happens to be your birthday. Custody is custody. It is designed to be neutral and procedural, not a celebration or a party."
He continued: "There would be no cake, no card, nothing of joy. At most, the custody sergeant might note the date of birth while completing the paperwork, but that would not have been a moment for jokes or light-hearted comments. The atmosphere in a custody suite is serious, and officers are focused on process and welfare, not marking milestones."
Andrew Windsor's Cold Reality
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Andrew Windsor arranged for a private driver to collect him following his release that evening.
The insider added: "Food would likely have consisted of a reheated ready meal and tea served in a plastic cup. It is an intensely solitary environment. Once that cell door closes, you are left alone with nothing but bare walls and your own thoughts.
There is no television, no radio, no phone to scroll through, no distractions of any kind. You are not sharing the space, and you are not being entertained. Time moves slowly in a holding cell because there is simply nothing to occupy you beyond waiting for the next stage of the process, which is being interviewed."
After consultation with his lawyer, Andrew would have been quizzed under caution before returning to the cell until his release. Another police source stressed once any detainee is released, officers do not provide onward transport.
They said: "We are not a chauffeur company. When someone is discharged from custody, it is their responsibility to arrange their own lift." In a case like this, it is inconceivable that Andrew would have been left to sort it out alone. I would expect that security or a private driver was already waiting to collect him."
Reflecting on the contrast with his former lifestyle, the source added: "Walking out of a custody suite after a day in a bare cell is a sobering experience for anyone. For someone used to the scale and comfort of Royal Lodge, the shift from that level of privilege to a stark police station environment would have been head-spinning. The distance between those two worlds would have felt very real by the time he stepped out in the cold."
