Ex-prince Andrew arrested over alleged misconduct linked to Epstein – The Front Page

UK police have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of committing misconduct in public office.

The allegations are that the former prince shared confidential information with former financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was a UK trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011.

Police have searched his Sandringham home and former Royal Lodge residence.

He has since been released, after about 12 hours of questioning. His arrest happened on his 66th birthday.

Royal correspondent Gavin Grey told The Front Page that it’s telling that this has happened in full public view.

“The police could have quite simply contacted Andrew Mountbatten and said, ‘can you, at an agreed time, come into the police station for a chat?’

“And of course we, the media, wouldn’t have known the first thing about that because he would’ve organised to go either at night when people weren’t waiting for something to happen.

“A picture of him has surfaced of him trying to, what it looks like, duck in the backseat of the car that he’s in, looking completely hollowed out. This isn’t just a come-down for somebody who thought he was so important in the royal family. It’s complete, utter humiliation, and it could be about to get a lot worse.

“I’ve been covering the royals for over 35 years, and I certainly haven’t seen anything like it. The only time one can think of any senior member of the royal family getting into a bit of hot bother was about 20 years ago.

“Believe it or not, Princess Anne pleaded guilty to having a dangerous dog after it bit a member of the public. But, this is off the scale to what we’ve got today,” he said.

Sarah Ferguson has not been seen following her ex-husband’s arrest, with reports suggesting she has gone into hiding.

It’s understood she is lying low in the United Arab Emirates.

Grey said it’s unclear what the repercussions would be for the pair’s children, Beatrice and Eugenie.

“They’re still in the royal family. There are rumours that Prince William and Princess Catherine think that the whole family should be cut adrift,” he said.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

• Andrew’s arrest and release
• Possible royal family fallout
• Public and global reaction
• The inner workings of ‘The Firm’.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.