Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor photographed leaving police station in the back of a car after his arrest

Former prince saint andrew arrested o'er public misconduct allegations

in vogue(p) Epstein files put more scrutiny on former prince Andrew

The Epstein files: What’s in there and what happens next

How to navigate the Epstein files

Reuters

Mountbatten-Windsor has now left the Aylsham police station in the back of a vehicle. He was photographed just after 7 p.m. Local time.

Hi, I'm Catriona Koenig, an associate producer in our London bureau.

In front of Buckingham palace, there are more than just the usual tourists gathering around.

Maxim Kyrychuk, who lives an hour outside of the London, took the train into the city this morning after hearing about former Prince Andrew's arrest. He wanted to see how people were reacting to the breaking news.

"When I found out, I was quite celebratory, I was quite happy," he said. "I hope that through this, the public gets more information on what has been secret for so long."

"I hope that not only he is brought to justice but also anyone else who supported Epstein or Andrew in this."

Ross Thompson, visiting from Pennsylvania, said, “I think it’s a great step. I think it’s more than what we’re doing in the States where all of this has started, and all of this has stemmed from."

"I think it’s awesome that they did arrest him and shows that nobody is that protected."

In London, citizens expressed surprise and largely welcomed the news of the arrest of the former prince, though some said they feared it may not amount to actual charges.

"It's just, I suppose, a sign of the world we live in where power has no responsibility, no ethics. And I mean, he [Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor] comes from a background of corruption, being above the law," Michael Temple, a 62-year-old retired university professor, told Reuters.

Others expressed being "pleased" with the news. One Londoner said: "I hope he gets what he deserves.… If it's life in jail, then it's life in jail. If it's exile, then it's exile."

Floyd Stevenson, 64, who calls himself a "royalist," was in town attending London Fashion Week, where King Charles also made an appearance.

"I do follow the Royal Family. I do support them. So hearing that from a member of the Royal Family is really, you know — it's the last straw, isn't it, really."

Email appears to confirm photo of former prince, Virginia Giuffre is real

An email in the Jeffrey Epstein files believed to have been written by Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse, is real.

The allegations police are investigating against Andrew — suspicion of misconduct in public office — are separate from claims made by Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent survivors of Epstein's sexual abuse.

Giuffre alleged that she had been trafficked to Britain to have sex with Andrew in 2001 — when she was just 17. The former prince has always denied allegations of abuse and has claimed to have never met Giuffre.

Still, Giuffre's family praised today's arrest, saying: "Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” in a statement shared with The Associated Press.

"He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you,” said Giuffre's siblings, Sky and Amanda Roberts, and Danny and Lanette Wilson.

Earlier this month, a newly released email appeared to support Giuffre’s assertion that she met and posed for a photo with Andrew, coming roughly 10 months after her death by suicide.

The 2015 email was among one of the millions of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice several weeks ago.

King Charles continued his regular royal schedule today, attending the opening of London Fashion Week.

He was met with cheers and shouts from the public as he arrived for the opening in central London, The Times reported.

Inside, he took a front-row seat for British Nigerian designer Tolu Coker during the opening show.

Royals have attended the opening of London Fashion Week in the past, with Queen Elizabeth taking her own front-row seat in 2018.

Palace sources say there was no advance notice from police that they would arrive at the King’s private Sandringham Estate this morning to arrest Andrew, a man who for the first 22 years of his life was second in line to the throne. 

Questions were raised after the latest release of the Epstein files, in which emails appear to show Andrew shared confidential sensitive government information, which was potentially market-changing, with Epstein. 

Detectives will be searching for evidence, from hard copies to computer files. 

If they decide the case is worth pursuing, the police will take this information to the Crown Prosecution Service. They will then decide if it is in the public interest and if there is enough evidence to pursue a charge. 

For now, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor remains in police custody at an undisclosed location. A suspect can be detained without charge for up to 24 hours, and Thames Valley Police can apply for this detention period to be extended to between 36 and 96 hours for serious crimes.  

If a charge of misconduct in public office is deemed appropriate, the suspect appears before a magistrates' court, and it is the magistrate who decides if that person remains in custody or is released on bail. 

The ex-prince has always denied any wrongdoing. 

Police searches of royal properties continue at Sandringham and on the Windsor estate.

Today’s arrest took place on King Charles’s private Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, northeast of London.

Andrew moved there earlier this month, as his anticipated eviction from a 30-room mansion he leased on the Crown Estate near Windsor, just west of London, came to fruition.

There has been considerable focus and friction on Andrew’s living arrangements, with his lease for Royal Lodge becoming a matter of discussion for some British MPs.

While photos this morning have shown Sandringham Estate, it has not been publicly confirmed where exactly Andrew is living.

Many U.K. Media reports say he has been temporarily at Wood Farm, a property on the sprawling, 8,000-hectare estate where his father, Prince Philip, spent much of his time in his final years. 

It has also been widely reported that Andrew's intended residence is another property on the estate – Marsh Farm – but it requires renovations before he moves in.

As far as reputational declines go, Andrew’s fall is precipitous.

There was a time when the second son of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was seen as a dashing young prince, winning praise for his actions when he served as a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War in the early 1980s.

But there was controversy in those earlier years, too.

Before he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986, there was another tabloid moniker: "Randy Andy." 

Much media attention focused on his relationships, including with girlfriend Koo Stark, His relationship with the American actor ended after it was revealed she had appeared in a 1976 erotic film.

While Andrew was arrested today on suspicion of misconduct in public office, his time as a trade envoy for the U.K. Has long been a focus of controversy.

His suitability for the role, which he held from 2001 to 2011, was criticized throughout his time in it, the BBC reported.

Scrutiny ranged from those he allegedly had contact with, including holidaying with a Libyan gun smuggler, to the very nature of how he handled himself, with descriptions of him "verging on rude," the BBC said.

He also came to be known in the tabloids as "Air Miles Andy" for the frequent international travel he undertook in the role.

Whatever the police inquiries may regard, Andrew's veracity and memory have been questioned in the past. 

Andrew said in his disastrous 2019 BBC interview that he had cut off contact with Epstein between 2006, when the American financier was arrested in Florida, and 2010, when he stayed at Epstein's New York City townhouse in December and told him that their relationship had to end. 

But earlier this month, the BBC reported that just weeks after that late 2010 visit, Andrew is alleged to have shared a British government document on investment opportunities in Afghanistan with Epstein. 

And it was reported this past October that in a court case involving former Barclays executive Jes Staley — who has also faced censure over his Epstein ties — an email from a Royal Family account to Epstein included the message: "Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!" 

The date of that email —  sent in February 2011 — coincides with some of Virginia Giuffre's allegations regarding Andrew first coming to light in British tabloids.

---

---