Former British prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was previously stripped of his royal titles due to his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Years later, the previous Prince Andrew is seeing the within a jail cell over those self same links. And to top it off? His arrest date, Feb. 19, marks his 66th birthday.
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What Police Have Said About The Former Prince Andrew’s Arrest
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Nonetheless, concerns in regards to the former prince’s links to the late Epstein have dogged the royal family for greater than a decade. Still, the arrest of a monarch’s brother was a rare development. The arrest has no precedent in modern times and can little question put more pressure on the crown.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that officials arrested a person in his 60s from Norfolk, in eastern England, per the Associated Press. The agency covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home. It didn’t discover the suspect, which is standard procedure in Britain. When asked to substantiate if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, AP reports that the agency pointed to its statement. For context, Mountbatten-Windsor moved to Charles’ estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.
Policing commentator Danny Shaw told the BBC that normally, suspects are held between 12 and 24 hours. At that time, official either press charges or release suspects pending further investigation. Absolutely the longest the previous prince may be held for is 96 hours. But this might require multiple extensions from senior cops and a Magistrate’s Court. It’s unclear what time Andrew was arrested. AP reports that the previous Prince Andrew will wait for his police interview in “a cell in a custody suite” with just “a bed and a bathroom.”
“There’ll be no special treatment for him,” Shaw said.
How The U.S. Aided In Andrew’s Arrest
Thames Valley Police previously said it was “assessing” reports that the previous Prince Andrew sent confidential trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. At the moment, Andrew was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Local police picked up the reports tip after the U.S. released tens of millions of pages of documents last month from the Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein. In those pages, there’s correspondence between Andrew and Jeffrey about said reports and more.
“Following an intensive assessment, we’ve now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a press release. “We understand the numerous public interest on this case, and we’ll provide updates at the suitable time.”
Police also said they were searching two properties. The arrest got here after pictures circulated online that appeared to indicate unmarked police cars at Wood Farm with plainclothes officers gathering outside. That farm is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
King Charles III Speaks Out
After the arrest, King Charles III said the law must take its course within the investigation and agreed to cooperate. Also, he sought to reassure the British public that he would proceed to serve them.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said. “As this process continues, it might not be right for me to comment further on this matter.” He addressed the British public, saying: “My family and I’ll proceed in our duty and repair to you all.”
He signed the statement Charles R., consistent with the convention that British monarchs use to sign their names. The R. stands for rex, Latin for king. The late Queen Elizabeth II forced Mountbatten-Windsor to present up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019. On the time, he tried to clarify away his ties to Jeffrey Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC. But more details in regards to the relationship emerged in a book published last yr. In response, Charles stripped him of the best to be called a prince and ordered him to maneuver.
Last week, Buckingham Palace announced that it was able to cooperate within the event of a police inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles was forced to act after the pages from the U.S. release revealed the extent of his brother’s relationship with Epstein. That relationship continued long after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Family Of Prince Andrew’s Late Victim Reacts To His Arrest
To notice, the allegations being investigated on Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre. She previously revealed she had been trafficked to Britain to have sex with Andrew in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last yr. Her family praised the arrest of the previous British Prince, saying:
“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted on the news that nobody is above the law, not even royalty.” The family added, “He was never a prince. For survivors all over the place, Virginia did this for you.”
Craig Prescott, a royal expert on the University of London, called the arrest the “most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times.” The last time a senior British royal was arrested was almost 400 years ago, throughout the reign of King Charles I. On the time, there was a growing power struggle between the crown and Parliament. After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers within the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War. That war ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell. Meanwhile, Charles was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.
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Associated Press author Danica Kirka contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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