Former Prince Andrew has been seen in public with what appears to be a large red blemish on his face. The disgraced royal was photographed on Thursday driving near his Marsh Farm home in Norfolk, sparking speculation about the cause of the injury. Andrew has been living at the Sandringham Estate since February after being removed from his former home, Royal Lodge.
In photos taken on June 4, King Charles' younger brother can be seen driving his Land Rover near his home, with a sizable red mark on his right cheek. It remains unclear when and how Andrew, who has been called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor since losing his royal titles last year, may have obtained the marking.
Andrew, wearing a pink shirt and blue jacket, has hardly been seen in public since a security scare while dog walking on the estate last month. The 66-year-old has been under close scrutiny since his shock arrest in February. The sighting comes amid renewed interest in the investigation into Andrew's alleged misconduct during his time as a UK trade envoy. The scope of the investigation was recently widened to include claims of alleged sexual misconduct.
The official update from Thames Valley Police came on May 22, as the disgraced royal remains under investigation for alleged misconduct in public office. In February, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested following allegations that he passed confidential documents to late sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew denies wrongdoing in connection with the allegations against him.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show the former duke, who served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore with Epstein. At the time, King Charles released a statement revealing his deepest concern over his younger brother's arrest. Following the arrest and search activity, Andrew was interviewed under caution and released under investigation on the same day.
British police have since been working with the US Department of Justice to gather further information related to the case. Thames Valley Police said in its release: 'In addition to the investigation into misconduct in public office, the assessment of reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes is ongoing.' Andrew has strenuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to all the allegations made against him.
