Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in what may be one of the most extraordinary moments in modern royal history. Police vehicles were seen at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate as Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrest of a man in his 60s from Norfolk, with searches under way in Berkshire and Norfolk. BBC News reports Andrew remains in custody.
The arrest follows renewed scrutiny over millions of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein and focuses on allegations that confidential, potentially market-sensitive government information may have been shared during Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, and no charges have been brought.
With the National Crime Agency now involved and commentators noting the unprecedented optics of the King’s brother in police custody, constitutional questions are resurfacing. The charge of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, though an arrest is not evidence of guilt. As Prime Minister Keir Starmer says “nobody is above the law,” the monarchy faces one of its most serious crises in decades.
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