Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who has long faced allegations related to U.S. billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested by police on the 19th (local time), questioned, and then released.
According to Reuters and AFP, Thames Valley Police raided Wood Farm, Andrew's residence on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, the private property of Britain's King Charles III, and arrested and detained him on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Reuters reported that he was questioned all day by detectives from Thames Valley Police and was released on Thursday evening.
Thames Valley Police said that a man arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office had been "released under investigation." U.S. broadcaster NBC explained that this means he has neither been charged nor cleared of suspicion. In line with relevant laws, the police did not identify Andrew by name and only described him as a man in his 60s, but the media are reporting that the man is Andrew.
Andrew is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the younger brother of King Charles III. He is currently eighth in line to the throne. From 2001 to 2011 he served as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after suspicions emerged over his links to Epstein.
He has been accused of maintaining a close relationship with Epstein and of having forced sex on Virginia Giuffre, who worked for Epstein, on multiple occasions starting when she was a minor. Further allegations continued to surface even after he was stripped of his prince title and all military honors and royal patronages in October last year. Andrew has consistently denied all accusations.
After the U.S. Department of Justice recently released additional Epstein documents, new allegations emerged that Andrew passed government classified information to Epstein in 2011. The documents include emails from 2010 to 2011 in which a person believed to be Andrew provided Epstein with information on visits to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, as well as classified information on investment opportunities in Afghanistan's reconstruction.
The anti-monarchy group Republic reported Andrew to Thames Valley Police, saying he is suspected of committing misconduct in public office and of disclosing official secrets.
Thames Valley Police also said they were aware of information, and were reviewing it in line with procedure, regarding an allegation that in 2010 Andrew spent a night at Royal Lodge in Windsor Castle with a woman in her 20s sent by Epstein.
The Guardian and The Times reported that this is the first time in 379 years that a member of the British royal family has been arrested and detained, since King Charles I was captured by parliamentary forces during the English Civil War in 1647. In modern times, it is effectively unprecedented. Charles I was convicted of treason in 1649 and executed by beheading.
The British royal family has sought to distance itself from Andrew amid continuing scandals and allegations, while expressing sympathy for Epstein's victims. King Charles III issued a statement on Thursday saying that the investigation must be conducted thoroughly and fairly and handled in accordance with the rule of law. He also stressed that the royal household would support and cooperate with the investigating authorities.
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