Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles, was released from police custody on Thursday evening. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sending confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has been questioned all day by detectives from Thames Valley Police. Earlier this month, it was announced that the police force was looking into allegations that he had passed documents to Epstein while working as a trade envoy.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” King Charles said in a statement.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that the “arrested man” had been “released under investigation.”
Royal Family Cooperates with Investigation
Although Buckingham Palace was not informed in advance of the arrest, King Charles stated that the authorities had “full and wholehearted support and cooperation” from the royal family.
Since over three million pages of documents have been released by the U.S. government regarding Epstein’s illegal activities, Mountbatten-Windsor’s office has not released any official statements. However, after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008, he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and expressed his regret for their friendship.
The recently declassified files suggest that Mountbatten-Windsor had forwarded reports about Vietnam, Singapore and other countries he had visited on diplomatic trips as the government’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment to Epstein in 2010.
He was removed from his post in 2011 when his links to Epstein first emerged.
Life Imprisonment for Misconduct in Office
Six unmarked police cars were pictured at Wood Farm on Sandringham estate in eastern England, Mountbatten-Windsor’s current residence. The Thames Valley Police officers also searched the mansion on the King’s Windsor estate.
While his arrest does prove that police have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, it is not an admission of guilt. However, if a conviction for misconduct in a public office is proven, the crime carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Cases involving the royal family are to be dealt with in the Crown Court, which is known for handling the most serious criminal offences.
The misconduct investigation is not the only accusation against Mountbatten-Windsor that the police are looking into. Republic, the Anti-monarchy campaign group, has also reported him over allegations of his involvement in trafficking a woman to Britain for sex in 2010. Thames Valley Police said they are assessing the allegations that the woman was transported to an address in Windsor, where the former prince resided until recently.
(With inputs from Reuters)
