Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Facing Humiliating Passport Surrender Request Amid Fears He's Set to Flee to Middle East as Police Probe Continues

OK! can reveal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing mounting calls to surrender his passport amid fears he could flee to the Middle East – or even China – as a police probe into alleged misconduct continues to cast a long shadow over the disgraced royal.

The former Duke of York, 66, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released pending further investigation.

His arrest follows renewed scrutiny linked to disclosures surrounding his past role as U.K. Trade Envoy and his association with convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. In recent months, he has been stripped of royal titles and asked to vacate Royal Lodge by his brother, King Charles III, 77.

Against that backdrop, speculation has intensified over whether Windsor might seek refuge abroad – potentially in the United Arab Emirates, where he is said to have longstanding ties with its president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

A palace source told us: "There is a growing sense of unease behind the scenes about the possibility of Andrew trying to establish himself abroad if the investigation gathers pace. People are asking quiet but serious questions about why no formal travel restrictions appear to be in place. The absence of any move to secure his passport has not gone unnoticed within official circles."

The source continued: "The United Arab Emirates is frequently mentioned because of Andrew's long-standing personal ties there, but those relationships should not be overstated. The Emirati leadership's priority is its diplomatic and economic partnership with King Charles and the United Kingdom. Any step that might be interpreted as sheltering a controversial royal figure would carry significant consequences, and they are acutely aware of that. Realistically, any relocation to the Gulf would be politically sensitive and could not happen without at least implicit consent from the Royal Household. If it ever emerged that such approval had been granted, the backlash in Britain would be swift and severe. There is already considerable public frustration – facilitating an overseas move would only intensify that. But Andrew may be asked to surrender his passport to avoid a potential diplomatic and royal disaster."

Turning to other nations where Andrew may flee, another royal insider said: "Bahrain occasionally comes up in conversation because of the technical point that there is no formal extradition treaty with Britain. But in practical terms, that may be a red herring. The Bahraini monarchy maintains a warm and longstanding relationship with King Charles, and it is hard to imagine them risking that goodwill by offering Andrew any kind of refuge. Politically, it would be a non-starter. If you are looking at this purely through the lens of existing connections, China is the more intriguing – though entirely speculative – possibility. Andrew has spent years developing commercial relationships there and has moved in diplomatic circles that include senior Chinese figures."

But the source stressed: "That does not mean there is any plan in motion. But if Andrew were searching for somewhere vast, influential and relatively insulated from British public opinion, China would be an option people might point to. It would offer scale, discretion and established contacts – at least in theory."

Security sources declined to comment on whether any formal request for the surrender of Andrew's passport have been made.

One senior figure familiar with royal protection arrangements said: "These are sensitive matters. Decisions about travel documents are not taken lightly, particularly where a member of the Royal Family is concerned."

Andrew has made no public statement since his arrest.

The investigation into his alleged passing of sensitive documents to Epstein remains ongoing, and no charges have been filed.

Unlike his older brother King Charles, who is exempt from the rule, Andrew has to travel using a valid passport – which all other members of the royal family aside from the monarch must carry.