The inquiry into the former prince could rival royal weddings and coronations as one of the greatest public spectacles in modern British history.
For decades, the Sandringham estate has been a place where members of the house Windsor They can escape from everything.
Three hours northeast of London, the palatial country house, its 8,000 hectares and its residences are where the rey Carlos III and his family celebrate Christmasand from where they greet admirers as they parade to religious services in their best clothes for the season.
Early Thursday morning, the idyllic estate was invaded by unmarked police cars as officers detained Andrew Mountbatten-Windsorthe king’s brother, amid accusations that he had shared confidential government information with Jeffrey Epsteinconvicted sex offender.
Later that evening he would return to Sandringham, cowering in the back seat of a black SUV, as media cameras attempted to capture his release.
The arrest of former Prince Andrew
The scenes of Mountbatten-Windsor, already stripped of his title and expelled from the home he inhabited all his life, could be seen as an unmistakable message about the end of an era.
Since the king charles i was arrested and tried for treason almost four centuries ago, in January 1649, no member of the British royalty had been arrested.
The king’s family, long shaken by scandalous infighting and grave losses, now faces what could be the most serious threat in more than a generation to its moral authority and the central role it plays, culturally and symbolically, in the country.
This arrest represents the definitive collision between the police and opulence, which ruins the intense efforts of the palacio de Buckingham for distancing himself from the accusations against the former prince.
The investigation into the former prince, which could drag on for weeks or months, has the potential to rival royal weddings and coronations as one of the greatest public spectacles in modern British history.
If charges are brought, according to law and tradition, they will be formally brought in the name of the king: the King Charles III against his brother.
The arrest comes after years in which the king, and before him his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, remained silent about allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor forced Virginia Giuffre to have sexual relations with him after Epstein trafficked her when she was 17 years old.
The former prince has denied those accusations and the crimes related to Epstein.
“The royal family, far from obediently serving the public in relation to this scandal that has engulfed Andrew, has not been transparent. They have not been communicative, secrets have persisted“, said Ed Owenshistorian and expert on the British royal family.
“It is this lack of transparency that is the driving force of the moral problem that is at the heart of the monarchy’s mess.”.
What does Charles III say?
On Thursday, the king sought to address simmering anger over the family’s handling of his brother’s case, issuing a statement addressed to the British people and signed simply “Charles R.,” the “R” referring to rexor king.
in it promised not to interfere in the country’s criminal justice system and agreed to collaborate in the investigation when necessary.
“What follows now is the full, fair and appropriate process by which this matter is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the competent authorities. In this, as I have said before, you have our full and sincere support and cooperation”.
Throughout the world—and especially in USA— The news of the former prince’s arrest highlighted the surprising lack of similar actions against people connected to Epstein.
This is despite the public disclosure of millions of pages of correspondence documenting his actions and communications with wealthy and connected elites.
In the United States, only Ghislaine Maxwella long-time Epstein associate, was convicted of sex traffickingfor conspiring to exploit underage girls and women.
Epstein was arrested and charged, but died in prison while awaiting trial.
After the former prince’s arrest on Thursday, a statement from the family of Giuffre, who committed suicide last year, began with just two words: “At last”.
However, the investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor does not focus on sexual assault allegations leveled against him over the past decade.
Police are investigating whether Mountbatten-Windsor committed misconduct in public office while serving as a British trade envoy, amid reports that he shared information with Epstein.
In it United Kingdomthe arrest felt like the culmination of a decade-long drama that has slowly undermined the reputation of the royal family.
The royal family’s efforts to overcome the scandal
For years, the former prince’s ties to Epstein haunted members of the royal family, even as they navigated the uncertainty of some of the most significant moments in British history.
The death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022. The coronation of her son, King Charles III. The very public defection of Harry, the Duke of Sussex, to the United States.
The period of intense scrutiny began in 2010, when Mountbatten-Windsor was seen walking with Epstein in New York, two years after the financier’s conviction for inciting the prostitution of a minor.
The former prince later said that he had organized the meeting to end his friendship with Epstein and that he wanted to do it in person.
Correspondence from the Epstein files recently released in Washington shows that he still maintained contact with Epstein.
In 2011, a British newspaper published a now-infamous photo of Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Giuffre’s waist when she was 17. Scrutiny intensified when Giuffre alleged in a 2015 lawsuit that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced by Mountbatten-Windsor into sexual relations multiple times, in three different cities.
Four years later, after Epstein’s arrest and subsequent death by suicide, Mountbatten-Windsor attempted to restore her reputation. He was interviewed for the program Newsnight of the BBCwhere he stated that he did not remember the photo with Giuffre.
He seemed nervous and evasive, and the interview went poorly.
Viewers said they were surprised by his lack of sympathy for Giuffre and did not believe him when he denied sexual misconduct.
He attempted to refute Giuffre’s accusation that they had sweated on a dance floor by claiming that he was medically incapable of sweating.
As a result of the interview, the former prince agreed to withdraw from some royal duties and, in 2021, reached an agreement with Giuffre over her lawsuit, the details of which were kept secret.
Even then, the royal family remained silent, thereby maintaining thethe state in which of Mountbatten-Windsor royalty.
He was finally stripped of his royal titles and royal residence last year after Giuffre’s memoirs revealed new details about his accusations.
The latest release of the Epstein files seemed to suddenly plunge him and the royal family into new territory, as the prospect of a criminal investigation into misconduct in public office emerged.
Andrés is arrested; Carlos goes to a fashion show
On Thursday, King Charles seemed eager to put his brother’s detention behind him, stating in his statement that “my family and I will continue in our duty and service to all of you.”
Hours later, The king appeared in the front row at a London fashion showwhile his wife, the queen camillaI was attending an orchestra concert at lunchtime.
But the fallout is likely to continue for some time and could easily reach the next generation of royals, experts say.
The king is receiving treatment for a cancer diagnosis, and his heir, the prince williamsaid in his first comments on the case last week that he was “deeply concerned” by the allegations surrounding his uncle.
“If this episode continues to drag on,” Owens said, while noting that the court case could drag on for months or even years, “it could tarnish the beginnings of a new reign.”
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