Acclaimed photographer Terry Harris, the Peterborough-based news veteran and co-founder of CambsNews, had been camped outside Sandringham for more than two weeks on assignment for The Times and Sunday Times when the moment finally came
At around 8am on Thursday, six unmarked Thames Valley Police cars swept into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s residence on the Sandringham estate.
Harris, who had spent 16 days documenting the intensifying scrutiny around Prince Andrew, quickly captured the unfolding scene and transmitted the images via Bav Media agency to newsrooms around the world — beating major global outlets to the first pictures of the dramatic police arrival.
“I was told to be here because it was his birthday and obviously to see if anyone turned up with balloons and stuff,” Terry told Channel 9 News in Australia. “Instead they raided him.”
National race to break arrest story
According to Press Gazette, the first reports of police activity emerged within minutes.
The Daily Mail published a story at 9.26am, followed by The Sun at 9.36am, both citing the arrival of police vehicles at the Norfolk estate.
The BBC said it was first to report the arrest itself at 9.54am, in a piece by special correspondent Lucy Manning. Thames Valley Police confirmed at 10.03am that a man in his sixties from Norfolk had been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, though the force declined to name him.
The decision by many publishers to identify Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor immediately reignited debate over privacy and public interest. Since 2013, guidance from the UK College of Policing has advised against naming suspects prior to charge except in exceptional circumstances.
Legal experts told Press Gazette that the royal’s public role and the unprecedented nature of the situation created a strong argument for disclosure. By midday, King Charles had issued a statement explicitly referencing the arrest, placing the matter firmly in the public domain.
Reuters captures defining image
Later in the day, however, the Peterborough scoop was dramatically overtaken.
Acting on a tip, Reuters photographer Phil Noble positioned himself outside a police station in Aylsham. As darkness fell, he captured a fleeting image of Andrew being driven away after interview — a frame that quickly dominated front pages worldwide, eclipsing even the dramatic morning scenes from Sandringham.
For Harris, though, the global scramble underlined the value of patience and local expertise — with a Peterborough photographer once again proving he could outpace the world’s biggest news organisations from a quiet roadside in Norfolk.
