Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, former Britain prince and brother of King Charles III, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to reports. The arrest comes amid his alleged links to infamous Epstein Files.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted to the development, saying “nobody is above the law,” as reported by the BBC.
Andrew, who turned 66 on the same day, was taken into custody by Thames Valley Police. He is also the first senior royal to be arrested in modern history.
News photographers captured officers arriving to raid prince Andrew’s residence on his 66th birthday.
The police conducted a search at the Royal Family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The raid came after emails linked to the case were released by the US department of justice. Its officers searched two addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
It is understood that neither King Charles nor Buckingham Palace was informed in advance about the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Charles said earlier in the day that it was with “deepest concern” that he learned about the arrest of his younger brother, the former prince Andrew.
Newly released documents appeared to show that Andrew had shared potentially confidential papers with Epstein when he was serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
At least nine police forces in the UK have said they are reviewing reports that appear to link the former prince to Epstein.
Andrew was born on February 19, 1960, at Buckingham Palace. In his younger years, he was popular with the British public. He served as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy and took part in the 1982 Falklands War against Argentina.
He was seen as friendly and easy to talk to, unlike his older brother Charles, who was considered more formal.
However, over the years, his image was damaged by repeated controversies, and public opinion turned against him.
Public anger grew again after allegations resurfaced that he had sexual encounters with Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, including twice when she was 17. Andrew has denied all wrongdoing.
Here’s what we know so far
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Andrew was already deeply unpopular with the British public. An October YouGov poll found that 91 percent of respondents held a negative opinion of him.
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Nicknamed “Randy Andy” by British tabloids, he once lived a privileged life and was widely regarded as the favourite son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Epstein had emailed Andrew in September 2010 while the royal was preparing to travel to London. Epstein suggested changing their dinner plans at Buckingham Palace.
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Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, mentioned he would be accompanied by three women, including a Russian model. “Should I bring them all. So as to add some life,” he wrote. prince Andrew agreed. Emails released on Friday suggest that Epstein invited Mountbatten-Windsor to dinner with a 26-year-old Russian woman.
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The BBC also reported that images released from Epstein-related files by the US department of justice appear to show Andrew in compromising positions with an unidentified woman.
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The scandal has continued to grow since then. The latest release of the Epstein files in January included a photograph showing Andrew leaning over a woman lying on the floor.
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In one of the photographs, Andrew is seen touching the woman’s stomach while she lies on the ground.
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The report noted that no additional context was provided for the images, and it remains unclear when and where they were taken.
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His arrest is being seen as a major setback for the British monarchy. Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as prince Andrew and widely believed to be the late Queen’s favourite son, held several high-profile public and royal roles.
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His alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein have drawn intense scrutiny over the years, though he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
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Mountbatten-Windsor, who was earlier known as the Duke of York, was stripped of his royal titles in October following mounting controversy over his association with Epstein.
