Andrew Mountbatten arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

LONDON — Former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on “suspicion of misconduct in public office” during his time as UK trade envoy, police said.A statement released on Thursday morning did not name the former prince, who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but said searches are being carried out at “at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk”.Thames Valley Police, which covers areas west of London, simply said that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England was arrested and remained in custody.Unmarked police cars were seen earlier on Thursday morning at Sandringham in Norfolk, where Andrew has been living since leaving his home in Windsor.While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.New revelations last week appeared to show Mountbatten-Windsor sent convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein potentially confidential documents during his time as a UK trade envoy.Thames Valley Police confirmed earlier this month that it was “assessing” misconduct in public office accusations against the former prince.The force announced the move after the latest Epstein files revealed Mountbatten-Windsor may have passed potentially confidential reports to the late disgraced financier and convicted sex offender while serving as a UK trade envoy.It prompted King Charles III to voice “concern” over the actions of his brother and issue an unprecedented statement noting Buckingham Palace was “ready to support” the police in their assessment.In the latest potentially damaging disclosure, the Financial Times reported Tuesday that emails show Andrew agreed to help negotiate an $8-billion cash-for-oil swap involving two foreign entities.The ex-royal and a banker with whom he worked closely exchanged multiple messages about the plan with Epstein, starting while the financier was still under house arrest for a 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from an underage girl, according to the newspaper.In October, King Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal titles and ordered him to vacate Royal Lodge, his residence in the grounds of Windsor Castle.The decision followed years of controversy over Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein. He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein.Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein. In 2022, then-Prince Andrew paid a settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old. The settlement amount was not disclosed, though reports estimated it at between £7.5 million and £12 million.While he did not admit wrongdoing, Mountbatten-Windsor acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking in a joint statement announcing the settlement.Mountbatten-Windsor said he had not remembered meeting Giuffre, despite a photograph showing him with his arm around her waist alongside Maxwell.Giuffre died by suicide in April at the age of 41 at her farm in Western Australia. Her posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl was published in October.— Agencies