Police Search Former Prince Andrew's Home A Day After His Arrest

LONDON — Police searched nan erstwhile location of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor again connected Friday, a time aft he was arrested and held successful custody for astir 11 hours connected suspicion of misconduct successful nationalist agency related to his relationship pinch nan precocious convicted activity offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Following 1 of nan astir tumultuous days successful nan modern history of Britain’s royal family, nan erstwhile Prince Andrew is backmost astatine his caller residence connected nan Sandringham estate, King Charles III ‘s backstage retreat, which is astir 115 miles northbound of London.

Police person concluded their hunt astatine Wood Farm, wherever Mountbatten-Windsor is surviving while waiting for his caller location nearby, Marsh Farm, to beryllium ready.

They are still searching Royal Lodge, his 30-room erstwhile location successful nan parkland adjacent Windsor Castle, conscionable westbound of nan capital, wherever nan king’s younger relative had lived for decades until his eviction earlier this month. Unmarked vans, believed to beryllium constabulary vehicles, person been entering nan grounds passim Friday morning.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who was pictured slouched successful nan backmost of his chauffeur-driven car pursuing his merchandise Thursday evening from a constabulary position adjacent Sandringham, remains nether investigation, which intends he has neither been charged nor exonerated by Thames Valley Police, nan unit responsible for areas westbound of London.

Arrest was years successful nan making

His apprehension follows years of allegations complete his links pinch Epstein, who took his ain life successful a New York jailhouse successful 2019. The accusation astatine nan bosom of his apprehension is that Mountbatten-Windsor — who was known arsenic Prince Andrew until October erstwhile his relative stripped him of his titles and honors and banished him from Royal Lodge — shared confidential waste and acquisition accusation pinch nan disgraced financier erstwhile he was a waste and acquisition envoy for nan U.K.

Specifically, emails released past period by nan U.S. Department of Justice appeared to show Mountbatten-Windsor sharing reports of charismatic visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

One, dated November 2010, appeared to beryllium forwarded by Andrew 5 minutes aft he had received it. Another a fewer weeks later appeared to show him sending Epstein a confidential little connected finance opportunities successful nan reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Thames Valley Police has antecedently said it was besides reviewing allegations that a female was trafficked to nan U.K. by Epstein to person a intersexual brushwood pinch Andrew. Thursday’s apprehension had thing to do pinch that.

Other constabulary forces are besides conducting their ain investigations into Epstein’s links to nan U.K., including nan appraisal of formation logs astatine airports, ample and small.

Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied immoderate wrongdoing successful his relation pinch Epstein but has not commented connected nan astir caller allegations that person emerged pinch nan merchandise of nan alleged Epstein files.

Arrest was sudden, investigation will return time

Police swept into nan grounds of Mountbatten-Windsor’s location to apprehension him astatine 8 a.m. Thursday — his 66th day — earlier taking him to Aylsham constabulary position for questioning.

It’s not known what he told them. He whitethorn person said nothing, aliases “no comment,” arsenic is his right.

Experts said that misconduct successful a nationalist agency is notoriously difficult to prove.

“Firstly, it must beryllium wished if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was successful a domiciled wrong authorities that constitutes nan title of nationalist officer,” said Sean Caulfield, a criminal defense lawyer astatine Hodge Jones & Allen. “There is nary modular meaning to intelligibly tie on.”

The Crown Prosecution Service will yet make a determination astir charging Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth successful statement to nan throne.

Andrew Gilmore, a partner astatine Grosvenor Law, said that prosecutors will use nan two-stage trial known arsenic nan “Code for Crown Prosecutors.”

“That trial is to find whether location is simply a much realistic imaginable of a condemnation than not based connected nan grounds and whether nan matter is successful nan nationalist interest,” he said. “If these 2 tests are met, past nan matter will beryllium charged and proceed to court.”

Arrest is not conscionable unusual, it’s historic

Mountbatten-Windsor was nan first royal since King Charles I astir 4 hundreds of years agone to beryllium placed nether arrest. That turned into a seismic infinitesimal successful British history, starring to civilian war, Charles’ beheading and nan impermanent abolition of nan monarchy.

His apprehension is undoubtedly 1 of nan gravest crises to impact nan House of Windsor since its constitution much than 100 years ago. Arguably, only nan abdication of King Edward VIII successful 1936, and nan decease of Diana, Princess of Wales, successful 1997, person been arsenic sedate for nan institution of nan British monarchy successful modern times.

Though nan king and nan royal family will transportation retired their normal duties arsenic normal, nan questions surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor will continue, not slightest because nan investigations are apt to return time.

In a connection Thursday, nan king said nan “law must return its course,’’ but that arsenic ”this process continues, it would not beryllium correct for maine to remark further connected this matter.’’

The allegations being investigated Thursday are abstracted from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to person activity pinch nan prince successful 2001, erstwhile she was conscionable 17. Giuffre died by termination past year.

Still, Giuffre’s sister-in-law Amanda Roberts said that she was overjoyed erstwhile she sewage a telephone telephone astatine 3 a.m. telling her nan news of nan arrest. But those feelings of elation were quickly analyzable by nan realization that she couldn’t stock nan feelings of “vindication” pinch Giuffre.

“We can’t show her really overmuch we emotion her, and that everything that she was doing is not successful vain,” Roberts added tearfully.

Pylas writes for nan Associated Press.