Police search former Prince Andrew’s home a day after his arrest over Epstein ties

LONDON — Police searched the previous residence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor once more on Friday, a day after he was arrested and held in custody for practically 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public workplace associated to his friendship with the late convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Following one of the vital tumultuous days within the trendy historical past of Britain’s royal household, the previous Prince Andrew is again at his new residence on the Sandringham property, King Charles III ‘s personal retreat, which is round 115 miles (185 kilometers) north of London.

Police have concluded their search at Wooden Farm, the place Mountbatten-Windsor resides whereas ready for his new residence close by, Marsh Farm, to be prepared.

They’re nonetheless looking out Royal Lodge, his 30-room former residence within the parkland close to Windsor Fortress, simply west of the capital, the place the king’s youthful brother had lived for many years till his eviction earlier this month. Unmarked vans, believed to be police autos, have been coming into the grounds all through Friday morning.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who was pictured slouched behind his chauffeur-driven automotive following his launch Thursday night from a police station close to Sandringham, stays below investigation, which suggests he has neither been charged nor exonerated by Thames Valley Police, the power answerable for areas west of London.

Arrest was years within the making

His arrest follows years of allegations over his hyperlinks with Epstein, who took his personal life in a New York jail in 2019. The accusation on the coronary heart of his arrest is that Mountbatten-Windsor — who was often called Prince Andrew till October when his brother stripped him of his titles and honors and banished him from Royal Lodge — shared confidential commerce data with the disgraced financier when he was a commerce envoy for the U.Ok.

Particularly, emails launched final month by the U.S. Division of Justice appeared to indicate Mountbatten-Windsor sharing studies of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

One, dated November 2010, gave the impression to be forwarded by Andrew 5 minutes after he had obtained it. One other just a few weeks later appeared to indicate him sending Epstein a confidential temporary on funding alternatives within the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Thames Valley Police has beforehand mentioned it was additionally reviewing allegations {that a} lady was trafficked to the U.Ok. by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew. Thursday’s arrest had nothing to do with that.

Different police forces are additionally conducting their very own investigations into Epstein’s hyperlinks to the U.Ok., together with the evaluation of flight logs at airports, giant and small.

Mountbatten-Windsor has persistently denied any wrongdoing in his affiliation with Epstein however has not commented on the latest allegations which have emerged with the discharge of the so-called Epstein recordsdata.

Arrest was sudden, investigation will take time

Police swept into the grounds of Mountbatten-Windsor’s residence to arrest him at 8 a.m. Thursday — his 66th birthday — earlier than taking him to Aylsham police station for questioning.

It is not recognized what he instructed them. He might have mentioned nothing, or “no remark,” as is his proper.

Specialists mentioned that misconduct in a public workplace is notoriously tough to show.

“Firstly, it have to be decided if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was in a job inside authorities that constitutes the title of public officer,” mentioned Sean Caulfield, a legal protection lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen. “There is no such thing as a normal definition to obviously draw on.”

The Crown Prosecution Service will finally decide about charging Mountbatten-Windsor, who stays eighth in line to the throne.

Andrew Gilmore, a companion at Grosvenor Legislation, mentioned that prosecutors will apply the two-stage take a look at often called the “Code for Crown Prosecutors.”

“That take a look at is to find out whether or not there’s a extra reasonable prospect of a conviction than not primarily based on the proof and whether or not the matter is within the public curiosity,” he mentioned. “If these two assessments are met, then the matter can be charged and proceed to court docket.”

Arrest isn’t just uncommon, it is historic

Mountbatten-Windsor was the primary royal since King Charles I practically 4 centuries in the past to be positioned below arrest. That became a seismic second in British historical past, resulting in civil warfare, Charles’ beheading and the non permanent abolition of the monarchy.

His arrest is undoubtedly one of many gravest crises to have an effect on the Home of Windsor since its institution greater than 100 years in the past. Arguably, solely the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, and the loss of life of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, have been as grave for the establishment of the British monarchy in trendy instances.

Although the king and the royal household will perform their regular duties as regular, the questions surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor will proceed, not least as a result of the investigations are more likely to take time.

In an announcement Thursday, the king mentioned the “legislation should take its course,” however that as “this course of continues, it might not be proper for me to remark additional on this matter.”

The allegations are usually not associated to Epstein’s intercourse trafficking

The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from these made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have intercourse with the prince in 2001, when she was simply 17. Giuffre died by suicide final 12 months.

Nonetheless, Giuffre’s sister-in-law Amanda Roberts mentioned that she was overjoyed when she obtained a cellphone name at 3 a.m. telling her the information of the arrest. However these emotions of elation have been shortly sophisticated by the conclusion that she could not share the emotions of “vindication” with Giuffre.

“We won’t inform her how a lot we love her, and that all the things that she was doing is just not in useless,” Roberts added tearfully.