Ex-Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct tied to Epstein
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested Thursday weeks after new revelations about his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Thames Valley Police detained him on suspicion of misconduct in public office, citing his connections to Epstein.
Unmarked police vehicles and plainclothes officers were observed at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Andrew has resided at the home since vacating his longtime home at the Royal Lodge in Berkshire earlier this month following new allegations against the disgraced prince.
Police said they were searching both addresses as part of the investigation.
The allegations
Thames Valley Police stated they are investigating claims that Epstein transported a second woman to the U.K. for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor.
The former prince has consistently denied any involvement in wrongdoing related to Epstein.
Officials previously investigated Mountbatten-Windsor after Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, claimed that she was forced to have sex with him three times, beginning when she was 17. She claimed Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, ordered her to do so. Andrew was never charged, but he paid Giuffre millions of dollars in a civil settlement.
He was also stripped of all his royal duties and titles by his brother, King Charles III, over the scandal.
Police did not name Mountbatten-Windsor in a statement regarding the investigation, only identifying the person arrested as “a man in his sixties.” Thursday marks Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday.
Statements from officials, victims
Guiffre’s family released a statement following Andrew’s arrest. It reads:
At last, today our broken hearts have been lifted with the news that no one is above the law – not even royalty. On behalf of our sister, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police in their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.
Last week, a spokesperson for King Charles III said he has “made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.”
The spokesperson also said Buckingham Palace was ready to support the police as they considered allegations against his brother, Andrew.
Prior to the arrest on Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer also commented on the allegations against Andrew, saying “nobody is above the law.”
“Anybody who has any information should testify,” Starmer said. “So whether it’s Andrew or anybody else, anybody who has got relevant information should come forward to whatever the relevant body is, in this particular case we’re talking about Epstein, but there are plenty of other cases.”
This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode coming soon.
Charges likely to stem from time as trade envoy
Any potential charges against Mountbatten-Windsor will likely stem from his time as the U.K.’s trade envoy. He served in the role from 2001 to 2011, when he stepped down amid public scrutiny over his Epstein ties.
Documents released as part of the Justice Department’s mandate to publicize all records related to the Epstein case show Mountbatten-Windsor was in contact with Epstein while he the trade envoy office.
Some of the documents recently released appear to show that he forwarded sensitive government documents and commercial information to Epstein. The documents also appear to show Andrew forwarded Epstein information on investment opportunities in gold and uranium in Afghanistan, according to a BBC report.
U.K. government guidelines state trade envoys are under the same obligations as government ministers and the job “carries with it a duty of confidentiality in relation to information received,” which may include “sensitive, commercial, or political information shared about relevant markets/visits.”
Separate investigation looms
Liam Byrne, chairman of the U.K.’s Business and Trade Committee, told BBC on Wednesday that parliament may investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for his conduct while working as a trade envoy.
Byrne said his committee will meet next Tuesday to decide “how we might or might not take this investigation forward.”
“I can guarantee you that MPs [members of parliament] are not in the market for letting anything slip through the cracks,” he said. “My job as the chair is to make sure that the options are on the table in front of them when we consider it next week when Parliament resumes.”
While Byrne said he can’t “pre-judge” whether the committee will decide to open an investigation, he added, “At this stage, all I can say is nothing is off the table.”
The post Ex-Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct tied to Epstein appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
