Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor 'banned' from doing specific activity days after his arrest

The release of the bombshell Epstein files, containing a litany of trafficking and abuse claims about a number of world-famous individuals, have shown a sharp divide in response across the Atlantic.

In the US, the release of 3 million documents by the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein have revealed the damning extent to which a number of powerful people associated and even abetted the now-dead billionaire pedophile sex trafficker - but not a single arrest has been made.

Meanwhile, the UK has made two high-profile arrests after revelations about highly confidential information being traded between Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, as well as with Labour Party bigwig Peter Mandelson.

And the Brits' crackdown on disgraced Mountbatten-Windsor is showing no sign of stopping, even escalating this week after he was arrested, on his birthday, with it emerging that he is facing a criminal investigation into his time as a UK trade envoy, as well as potential trafficking charges.

The former Prince Andrew was friends with Epstein for years, even inviting him to Buckingham Palace after his conviction (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has continuously denied any wrongdoing or criminality in his relationship with then-convicted pedophile Epstein. However, this denial has not stopped his rapid and shameful fall from grace.

His downfall began in 2019 when he sat down for a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview to address claims of sexual abuse from Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre.

He came across so poorly in this interview that Andrew brought fresh attention to the more than decade of reports and rumors about his friendship with Epstein, after he was jailed for soliciting child prostitution in 2008.

This ultimately led to Andrew being stripped of all his titles by the Royal Family, who forced him to step back as a working royal and also kicked him out of his expansive mansion, the Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Since being booted out of his luxury accommodation by his older brother, King Charles, the son of the late Queen has been staying at a lesser property on the royals' Sandringham estate in Norfolk - where he has been banned from one of his favorite leisure activities.

Andrew invited Epstein deep into the heart of the British aristocracy, here pictured at the Royal Ascot races in 2000 (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

With few people for company, the increasingly isolated former Duke of York had been frequently spotted taking a turn about the grounds of the Royal Lodge on the back of a horse.

But even this last leisure activity is now being denied to him, according to Sun reports.

After he was spotted a few too many times enjoying a classic pastime of England's ancient nobility, horse riding, he has reportedly been banned from keeping up his hobby at his new digs in Norfolk.

The British royals will hope that this will stop photographers from catching further candid photos of the distraught former prince, who has only been pictured once since his he was arrested on Thursday (February 20).

An insider told the publication: “Since his arrest last week he has been ordered not to go horse riding. It’s considered a bad look.

“They don’t think he should be seen grinning and smiling on his horse like he was in Windsor.

“But it was one of the few things he actually enjoyed doing so what on earth is he going to do with his time?”