London: King Charles III said the law should take its course in the investigation into his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Although Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade. Thames Valley Police said a man in his 60s was arrested in Norfolk, eastern England. Police, who cover areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, did not identify the suspect as per standard UK procedure, but pointed to the statement when asked to confirm whether Andrew had been arrested. Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, moved to his brother King Charles III’s estate in Norfolk after being evicted from his former home near Windsor Castle earlier this month. Thames Valley Police had previously said it was “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential trade reports to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s Special Envoy for International Trade. Those reports emerged from letters between the two men, which were released last month in the U.S. court case against Epstein. It was one of millions of pages of documents obtained in the Justice Department’s investigation. “After a thorough investigation, we have now launched an inquiry into this allegation of misconduct in a public position,” Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. “We understand the public interest in this matter, and we will provide updates in due course.” The arrest came after photos circulated online showing unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, the Mountbatten-Windsor home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and plainclothes officers gathered outside. The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to relinquish royal duties and cease his charity work in 2019 after he tried to explain his relationship with Epstein during a damning interview with the BBC. But a book published last year revealed more details about the relationship, and Charles stripped him of his right to be called Prince Charles and ordered him to leave. Then last week, it was announced that Buckingham Palace was willing to cooperate with the police investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein. Charles was forced to take action after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents, revealing the extent of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and that their communication continued long after Epstein admitted soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York. He took his own life in prison while awaiting trial.
