.
Britain’s Prince Andrew speaks to the media during Sunday mass at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park, Britain, following the death of his father Prince Philip on Friday at the age of 99, April 11, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS
SANDRINGHAM:
The British royal family was in crisis on Thursday as the former Prince Andrew was in custody after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct over his links to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The arrest of a member of the royal family is unprecedented in modern Britain, and hours later, King Charles III issued a rare personally signed statement, insisting that “the law must take its course.”
It is another humiliating blow for the deposed prince, who celebrated his 66th birthday on Thursday and was stripped of his titles last year.
But the news was well received on the streets of London.
“It’s good that he was arrested,” Jennifer Tiso, 39, a data analyst, told AFP. “I don’t think that just because you’re related to the royal family you should be above the law.”
Police said they were also searching two properties, with the BBC reporting one of them was Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge, on the monarchy’s estate in Windsor, west London.
The other has been his residence since this month at the king’s private estate at Sandringham, Norfolk, eastern England, where his arrest took place, according to British media.
Widely published images show several unmarked cars, believed to be police vehicles, arriving early Thursday.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement they had arrested “a man in his 60s from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office”, without naming the suspect, as is common practice in Britain.
“The man is still in police custody at this time,” the statement added.
Andrew’s links to Epstein, a convicted financier and sex offender awaiting trial on trafficking allegations when he died in a US prison in 2019, brought about the former royal’s spectacular years-long downfall.
‘Concern’
Andrew’s arrest follows new revelations last week that the ex-prince appeared to have sent potentially confidential documents to Epstein while he was a trade envoy to the UK.
In a November 2010 email seen by AFP, Andrew appeared to share reports on several Asian countries with the American financier following an official visit to the region.
The ex-royal, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also allegedly sent her details of the trip – during which he was accompanied by Epstein’s business associates – as well as investment opportunities months later.
Last year, Charles stripped his brother of his titles and ordered him out of his Windsor manor, although he remains eighth in the line of succession to the British throne.
In his statement on Thursday, the king reiterated that he had read of the latest allegations “with the deepest concern” and that police had the “full support and co-operation of Buckingham Palace”.
“I say it clearly: the law must take its course,” he added.
In an apparent bid to project an air of status quo, Charles performed several public functions on Thursday, including attending a London Fashion Week opening event.
“How do you feel after your brother’s arrest?” » shouted a journalist at least twice when he arrived. It is not known whether the king heard the question. He didn’t answer.
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl told Sky News: “Let’s make no bones about it. This is a moment of crisis for the monarchy, perhaps the biggest crisis since the abdication (1936). Nobody really knows how this is going to play out.”
The scandal has gathered pace since one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claimed in her posthumous memoir last year that she was trafficked into having sex with Andrew when she was a teenager.
The Giuffre family on Thursday welcomed Andrew’s arrest, saying “our broken hearts have been lifted by this news”, adding that he had “never been a prince”.
“Strong message”
Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.
He settled a US civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability.
The ex-prince served as Britain’s trade envoy for a decade from 2001.
Official guidelines state that trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive commercial or political information relating to their official visits, the BBC said.
Misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
It remains unclear where Andrew was being held. Under British law, he can be detained for 24 hours without charge, after which police must apply to the courts for an extension of his custody.
At least nine British police forces have confirmed they are assessing claims arising from the Epstein files, many of which related to Andrew.
This follows the latest release by the US Department of Justice of millions of files from its investigation into the American financier.
