Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released after arrest

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday in England on suspicion of misconduct in public office and later released under investigation in what royal watchers are calling an unprecedented moment for Britain’s monarchy.

The 66-year-old, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was taken into custody as part of a police investigation tied to his time as a U.K. trade envoy and his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Officers also searched properties connected to him before releasing him after roughly 12 hours of questioning.

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Royal commentator Amanda Matta told The Evan Bray Show the arrest marked a historic turning point.

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Thames Valley Police say Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.

It’s the first time in nearly four centuries a senior British royal has been arrested.

U.K. authorities once sought to shield the Royal Family from embarrassment but the arrest underscores how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.

“The public has been clamouring for accountability,” Matta said. “He has been investigated, he has been arrested, he will be interviewed by police. Accountability is definitely on the horizon.”

Police said the investigation centres on alleged misconduct during Andrew’s role as a government trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, a position that gave him access to sensitive information. Investigators are examining whether confidential material was improperly shared.

Matta said it was important to separate this probe from separate allegations tied to Epstein.

“This investigation pertains to potential misconduct in public office,” Matta said. “There are other ongoing investigations related to alleged victims, but this specific arrest does not directly correlate to those claims.”

Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following a widely criticized BBC interview in which he denied allegations brought by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. He later lost his honorary military titles and royal patronages.

Since then, Matta said, he had largely disappeared from public life.

“He has kind of gone, I would say, kicking and screaming into the background,” Matta said. “And I think the feeling is still one of frustration that he has not been made to fully account for this.”

Buckingham Palace said it would fully co-operate with police. King Charles III stated the law must take its course.

Matta said the investigation could raise broader questions inside the palace walls.

“At a certain point, the public will expect answers about who in the palace knew what and when,” she said.

While Andrew has not been charged and remains under investigation, Matta says his arrest alone represents a rare and dramatic development for the Royal Family, reinforcing a message many in Britain have repeated for years: no one is above the law.

– with files from The Canadian Press