Former prince Andrew teddy bears: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor obsession over prized bears - amid arrest at Sandringham estate

On his 66th birthday, at least six unmarked vehicles carrying eight plainclothes officers equipped with police-issue laptops were observed arriving at Wood Farm around 8am. Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, Thames Valley Police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.

“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.” It is understood neither the King nor Buckingham Palace was informed in advance of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

Mounting pressure has surrounded the disgraced royal regarding his ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein following the release of three million pages of previously undisclosed emails, documents and images from the Epstein files in the US. The disgraced former prince relocated from his previous residence, the Royal Lodge in Windsor, on February 2 to a considerably smaller property on the royal estate in Sandringham.

Among the challenges the embattled former Duke of York reportedly faced during this transition was determining the fate of his collection of 60 teddy bears. Previous staff members have commented on Andrew's "peculiar" daily ritual at Royal Lodge, where they were tasked with positioning the teddies in a precise arrangement on his bed. However, he was allegedly allowed to keep only one teddy bear in his new Norfolk residence.

According to German newspaper Bild, the rest of Andrew's teddies were moved into storage for "practical reasons," alongside other furnishings and personal belongings. Royal sources have previously spoken about Andrew's attachment to his teddy bears.

Last year, when he was stripped of his titles and honors by the King due to his associations with Jeffrey Epstein, a royal source told Heatworld: "He's completely anthropomorphised them [the teddy bears], to the point that he's convinced the move out of Royal Lodge is going to be hard on them because, as he says, it's their home too.

"It really seems like being forced to move has sent him into a full-on meltdown because he keeps telling people the bears won't cope with the change, it's like he's transferring his own emotions onto them, the way a little kid would."