Africa-Press – Lesotho. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
It comes after Thames Valley Police said it was assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former prince with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The former prince has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Why has Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor been arrested?
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at about 08:00 GMT on Thursday on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where he has been staying.
Officers arrested the King’s brother on his 66th birthday.
It is understood that neither the King nor Buckingham Palace was informed in advance of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, by officers from Thames Valley Police.
We don’t know the specifics of the allegations of misconduct in public office being investigated.
However, previously reported allegations include that he had shared reports from trade visits, forwarded a confidential briefing on investment in Afghanistan, and passed a Treasury briefing to a personal business contact.
BBC News UK and home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said: “There has to be an assumption that part of this is going to be the sharing of documents within the Epstein files – between Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein himself. That’s when Thames Valley Police got involved.”
But Sandford said it was possible that police were not only focusing on emails seen widely in the Epstein files.
“Firstly, there’s three million documents in the files, so there may be some the media have missed. But secondly, Buckingham Palace said they would support Thames Valley Police in their inquiries.
“And that potentially means the police have gone to the Palace, or could go to the Palace, asking to see evidence of communications between Andrew and others.”
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright of Thames Valley Police said: “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
The force said it would not be naming the arrested man “as per national guidance”.
It is the first time the former prince, who has faced numerous allegations over his links to Epstein, has been arrested.
What is misconduct in public office?
Misconduct in public office is a really complicated offence, writes BBC News home and legal correspondent Dominic Casciani.
It essentially boils down to an allegation that someone who was doing a job on behalf of the British public did something seriously wrong, knowing it to be wrong.
There are four “elements” or factors that police must focus on during their investigation so that prosecutors can later decide whether or not someone should be charged.
First, the police must establish whether the person they’re investigating was a “public officer” and the incident in question was plausibly part of those duties.
If that’s agreed, detectives will then look for evidence that the incident in question saw the suspect “wilfully” neglecting to perform their duty or wilfully misconducting themselves in some other way. That wordy definition has long been a source of legal debate.
The next question is whether the action they committed was so bad that it was “an abuse of the public’s trust”.
Lastly, if the evidence has passed those three tests, police need to examine whether the person under investigation acted “without reasonable excuse or justification”.
That final question is crucial. It’s a fundamental principle of criminal justice that someone suspected of wrongdoing is given an opportunity to put forward their side of the story – and that starts when the police come and knock on their door.
Where has Mountbatten-Windsor been taken and what happens next?
Police say King Charles’s brother is in custody but we do not yet know where he has been taken.
Typically, an initial arrest over an alleged crime of the type Mountbatten-Windsor is accused of would be for a few hours, to allow searches to be conducted and initial questioning, according to the BBC’s Daniel Sandford.
Usually, the person who has been arrested is then given police bail and told a date to return to a police station for potential further questioning.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest also means the police have the right to take a custody photo, his fingerprints and a DNA swab.
If he were to be held for more than six hours, it would have to be at a dedicated custody suite – which is part of what is now commonly known as police investigation centres.
Cells are basic, but Mountbatten-Windsor would be offered a change of clothes, drinks and food if required.
A duty solicitor would be available to him if he did not have legal representation.
The timing, length and number of interviews will depend on what the police know so far and what they learn in the hours after an arrest, according to the BBC’s Dominic Casciani.
At some point a decision will have to be made by the Crown Prosecution Service and Thames Valley Police about whether to charge the King’s brother with misconduct in a public office.
It could be weeks before any substantial decision is made.
Where are searches taking place?
Thames Valley Police said that, in addition to the arrest, it was “carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk”.
Unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk before Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
In recent weeks, he has set up a temporary home on the estate whilst his permanent residence there, Marsh Farm, is being renovated.
Meanwhile, BBC News correspondent Helena Wilkinson, said she had seen uniformed police officers close to the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Until very recently, this sprawling property in Berkshire is where Mountbatten-Windsor lived.
BBC News understands that searches are being carried out at Royal Lodge and that the officers are there to guard the scene. It is thought to be the only address being searched at the moment in Berkshire.
Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent, told BBC News that by arresting the King’s brother, officers will be able to “to access computer equipment, files, photographs, any other evidence”.
He said they will be able to “carry out searches of any premises he owns or occupies, or any other premises he controls, so there may well be searches in other areas as well”.
Thames Valley Police said that, in addition to the arrest, it was “carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk”.
Unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk before Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
In recent weeks, he has set up a temporary home on the estate whilst his permanent residence there, Marsh Farm, is being renovated.
Meanwhile, BBC News correspondent Helena Wilkinson, said she had seen uniformed police officers close to the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Until very recently, this sprawling property in Berkshire is where Mountbatten-Windsor lived.
BBC News understands that searches are being carried out at Royal Lodge and that the officers are there to guard the scene. It is thought to be the only address being searched at the moment in Berkshire.
Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent, told BBC News that by arresting the King’s brother, officers will be able to “to access computer equipment, files, photographs, any other evidence”.
He said they will be able to “carry out searches of any premises he owns or occupies, or any other premises he controls, so there may well be searches in other areas as well”.
