Norfolk, United Kingdom. British police searched the former mansion of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday after his arrest the previous day on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest followed allegations he sent confidential government documents to financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a trade envoy.
Arrest and investigation
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, and was held for more than 10 hours before being released under investigation. He has not been charged with any offence.
Allegations involving government documents
The allegations relate to claims Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential British government documents to Epstein during his time as the government’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment. The released U.S. government files suggested he forwarded reports about investment opportunities in Afghanistan and assessments of Vietnam, Singapore and other locations he had visited.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in 2019, and said he regrets their friendship. The U.S. document releases indicated he remained friends with Epstein after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Public reaction and historical context
A Reuters photograph showing Mountbatten-Windsor leaving a police station was published widely in Britain and internationally, with some newspapers using headlines such as “Downfall.” He was described in the report as appearing in disbelief in the image.
The arrest of a senior royal, described as eighth in line to the throne, was reported as unprecedented in modern times. The report noted that the last member of the royal family to be arrested in Britain was Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 after being found guilty of treason.
King Charles’ response and police activity
King Charles, who stripped his brother of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home last year, said he learned of the arrest with “deepest concern.” He added: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” and said a “full, fair and proper process” should follow.
The report said the news broke early on Thursday that six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers arrived at Wood Farm on the king’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where Mountbatten-Windsor now resides.
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