Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested after Epstein files revelations as King says ‘law must take its course’

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• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, younger brother of King Charles III, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police have not said what led them to arrest him, but he spent a decade as UK trade envoy.

• King Charles III issued a statement saying he learned “with the deepest concern” of the arrest of his younger brother and stressed that “the law must take its course.”

• Officers were pictured arriving at Mountbatten-Windsor’s home at Sandringham, King Charles’ estate in Norfolk. Police previously said the force was reviewing allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor, and claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as envoy. The former prince has denied all accusations against him and insisted he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior of which Epstein is accused. He has not commented publicly on these more recent allegations of misconduct in public office.

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday, his 66th birthday, is the latest development in the yearslong controversy over his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Here’s how it unfolded:

• 2011: After a decade serving as trade envoy, tasked with promoting British business interests abroad, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew would step down from the role. Mountbatten-Windsor, then the Duke of York, had come under severe criticism due to his friendship with Epstein, who had been convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

• 2019: Mountbatten-Windsor agreed to a long, sit-down interview with BBC Newsnight about his ties to Epstein. He said he traveled to New York in 2010 to end his friendship with the financier. Asked why that led to him staying at Epstein’s mansion for several days, Andrew said “it was a convenient place to stay,” and that he thought speaking with Epstein in person was “the honorable and right thing to do.” He admitted that his judgment may have been colored by his “tendency to be too honorable.” READ MORE ...https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-uk-police-02-19-26