King Charles' younger brother, Endru Mauntbaten-Vindzor, was released from police custody Thursday night after being arrested on suspicion of abuse of public office for allegedly sending classified government documents Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, had previously been questioned by detectives throughout the day, Reuters writes.
Earlier in February, police said they were investigating allegations he passed documents to the late convicted sex offender Epstein while working as a trade emissary.
Unprecedented arrest
The arrest of a senior member of the royal family, once eighth in line to the throne, is unprecedented in modern times.
"It is with the deepest concern that I have received the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the suspicion of abuse of public office," it said. British King Charles.
The former prince was greeted by a small group of photographers and television crews as he left the police station in Aylsham, eastern England. A photo taken after his release shows him sitting in a car, visibly shaken.
The police said that "the arrested man has been released and the investigation is continuing."
The law must be enforced.
Although Buckingham Palace was not notified in advance of the arrest, King Charles said the authorities had the "full and sincere support and cooperation of the family".
"Let me be clear: the law must be enforced. In the meantime, my family and I will continue to do our duty and serve you all," the British king said.
Mountbatten-Windsor, second son of the deceased of Queen Elizabeth, denies any wrongdoing involving Epstein and said he regrets their friendship.
He has not spoken publicly since the US government released more than three million pages of documents related to Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 of organizing prostitution with minors.
Those files suggest Mountbatten-Windsor passed on reports to Epstein in 2010 about Vietnam, Singapore and other places he visited during official trips as the government's special representative for trade and investment.
He was forced to step down from that post in 2011 after his close ties to Epstein were first revealed.
"After a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of abuse of public office," police officials said in a statement.
A new degradation of the former prince
The arrest is a further demotion for the former prince, who was forced to step down from all official royal duties in 2019 because of his links to Epstein, and was then stripped of his titles and honors by his older brother, King Charles, last October.
In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor reached an out-of-court settlement in a civil lawsuit filed by to the United States filed against him by the late Virginia Juffray, accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates.
The current police investigation is unrelated to this or any other allegations of sexual harassment.
"Our broken hearts are touched today by the news that no one is above the law, not even the royal family," said Virginia Juffray's family. who committed suicide last year.
In response to Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, US President Donald tramp he said it was a "shame".
"I think it's very sad. I think it's very bad for the royal family. I'm sad to see what's happening with King Charles' brother," Trump said.
Among the few patricians accused of misdemeanors
Should Mountbatten-Windsor eventually face criminal charges, she would join a very small group of senior British royals who have been formally charged with wrongdoing.
His older sister, Princess Anne, was fined for speeding in 2001 and the following year became the first member of the royal family to be convicted of a crime in 350 years when she pleaded guilty to failing to stop one of her dogs from biting two children.
King Charles I was tried for treason in 1649, near the end of the English Civil War, and was found guilty and beheaded.
The misconduct investigation is not the only allegation against Mountbatten-Windsor that police are investigating. The anti-monarchist group "Republika" reported him due to allegations that he was involved in the trafficking of women and sexual abuse in 2010.
US lawmakers also said he should testify before committees in the United States about what he knew about Epstein.
Source: Reuters
