Evening summary
Here is a summary of the day’s main news lines:
Detectives have urged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former close protection officers to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” is relevant to their investigation into paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
The Metropolitan Police said it was also working with counterparts in the US to establish whether London airports had been used to “facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation”.
MPs have called for parliament to consider whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should lose his potential right to inherit the throne in the aftermath his arrest.
The Princess Royal continued with her engagements on Friday with a visit to a crisp factory in Sheffield. Anne did not respond when a reporter shouted: “Afternoon your royal highness, how do you feel about your brother’s arrest?”.
Police said they are continuing their search of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Berkshire. He was released from custody after being held by police for more than 10 hours. He has not been charged with any offence.
Police have concluded searches at Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Calls are growing for Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the line of succession for the throne. He is currently eighth in line but some MPs have suggested he should be removed or give up his place, with one Tory minister saying it would be “the decent thing” to do.
A photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on newspapers around the world. Phil Noble, the Manchester-based Reuters photographer who captured the photo last night, said: “When you’re doing car shots it’s more luck than judgment.”
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest as an “extraordinary fall from grace” but says it won’t prompt another referendum on Australia becoming a republic. In his first comments about the arrest, Albanese told the Guardian’s Australian Politics podcast that referendums “are hard to pass” in his country.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released under investigation after police questioned the former prince in relation to allegations he shared confidential material with Jeffrey Epstein.
Officers searched Mountbatten-Windsor’s Sandringham residence as well as his former home at the Royal Lodge in Great Windsor Park after arresting him on Thursday.
The former prince has denied any wrongdoing. But what were the police searching for and what could happen next?
Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s police and crime correspondent, Vikram Dodd…
MPs have called for parliament to consider whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should lose his potential right to inherit the throne in the aftermath his arrest.
Andrew was arrested and questioned by detectives on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, in connection with allegations that the former prince shared confidential material with Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne after Princes William and Harry and their children, despite him having relinquished his royal titles in October after new information came to light about his links to Epstein, the late financier and child sex offender.
This means Andrew is still a counsellor of state, the group of adult royals who could be named to fill in for King Charles if he was ill or abroad, even if in practice this would never happen for him, as only working royals are used.
The Liberal Democrats called on Friday for the issue to be considered. “The most important thing right now is that the police be allowed to get on with their job, acting without fear or favour,” Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said in a statement.
“But clearly this is an issue that parliament is going to have to consider when the time is right, naturally the Monarchy will want to make sure he can never become king.”
Updated
London fashion week was probably the last public place King Charles III wanted to be on Thursday, admiring the suits and costumes that no one he knows would dream of buying, and making light conversation with designers he would have difficulty in recognising at a royal garden party.
Charles must have been contemplating the crumbling of all his plans and hopes for his reign. He always knew it would be short, even before his cancer diagnosis, but he probably never thought it would be upended by the alleged behaviour of his own brother.
Thursday was the most consequential and damaging day for the family firm in centuries, perhaps since the Glorious Revolution of 1688, or the capture of King Charles I in 1647 and his execution two years later. Certainly it is worse than Diana’s death and more threatening than the 1936 abdication crisis, because it undermines the institution itself.
The Andrew crisis has not been over in a week or a fortnight – it just goes on posing questions, not only containable ones limited to Andrew’s apparent behaviour, but wider ones seeping through whole aspects of the monarchy: its money, its privacy, its unaccountability, its character and, crucially, its popularity with the public.
For more than 10 hours after the news broke that detectives had taken the unprecedented step to arrest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, there was total silence from police and the former royal himself.
Then at 7pm, news that he had been released from a police station in Norfolk emerged, accompanied by a paparazzi-style image of the former prince slumped in the back of a car. The image ricocheted across the world, landing on front pages across the globe.
An assortment of UK headlines on the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Phil Noble is a photojournalist for wire agency Reuters and took the picture that will undoubtedly be talked about and reproduced for years to come. “The photo gods were on my side,” he said on Friday, describing it as “a little bit surreal”.
“It was one of those kind of ‘pinch me’ moments where you look at the back of the camera, you’re tired, it’s been a long day, you know you’ve got him. And then I said to my colleague, ‘can you just double check? Is this him?’ Because you want to make sure. You can’t believe that you’ve got him as well as I did.”
But what does it take to capture a frame like this?
Police contacting former protection officers of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Detectives have urged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former close protection officers to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” is relevant to their investigation into paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
The Metropolitan Police said it was also working with counterparts in the US to establish whether London airports had been used to “facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation”.
In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the force said:
Following the further release of millions of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, we are aware of the suggestion that London airports may have been used to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
We are assessing this information and are actively seeking further detail from law enforcement partners, including those in the United States.
Separately, the Met is identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely, in a protection capacity, with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us.
While we are aware of the extensive media reporting and commentary about this matter, as of today, no new criminal allegations have been made to the Met regarding sexual offences said to have occurred within our jurisdiction. We continue to urge anyone with new or relevant information to come forward. All allegations will be taken seriously and, as with any matter, any information received will be assessed and investigated where appropriate.
The action outlined above is independent of investigations or assessment work being carried out by other forces. We are working with the national coordination group which has been set up to bring together affected forces to ensure consistency of approach, including access to appropriate expertise and guidance.
Updated
People walking in the Royal Parkland at Sandringham have said news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest was “stomach-churning”.
A dog walker, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Press Association on Friday morning she expected members of the royal family to “be honourable”.
“I think the more you have that the ordinary people don’t get, the more money or privilege, the more you’ve got to have wisdom.
“There’s an onus and a duty, and you expect them to honour them, to be honourable, and so when you hear things like that about a member of the royal family, it’s stomach-churning.
Recalling the reign of Andrew’s mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, she added: “There isn’t the same deference anymore.”
The Princess Royal continued with her engagements on Friday with a visit to a crisp factory in Sheffield.
Anne did not respond when a reporter shouted: “Afternoon your royal highness, how do you feel about your brother’s arrest?” as she arrived at Yorkshire Crisps, in the south of the city.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s older sister arrived in pouring rain with police outriders in a blue Range Rover, and was escorted the two metres into the building by a man holding a see-through umbrella.
Here are some photos from the Royal Lodge, the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in Berkshire today.
As you can see, there has been some vehicles coming and going, as well as a steady patrol of police officers.
They say the camera adds 10 pounds. Does it also add a sudden, terrifying understanding of the abject horror of existence? Phil Noble’s apparently does. The Reuters photographer’s shot of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaving Aylsham police station in the back of his Range Rover is an image filled with shock, pain and horror. Noble’s harsh, blinding flash paints Andrew in pink, red and white – his skin is sickly, his eyes are hollow and red like a rat’s. His hands are steepled as if in prayer, like he’s pleading with a higher power for absolution.
Much like the eerily similar 2019 picture of his father, Prince Philip, in a car, this photograph’s composition is one of pure luck. Noble took shots as Mountbatten-Windsor rushed past. Two were blank, two were of the police, one was out of focus. Only this one came out right. Only this one gave us a private glimpse of power crumbling and rotting away in real time.
In the social media and cameraphone age, it’s harder than ever for a single image to stand out, to rise above the visual noise we are bombarded with. That this one has somehow done so shows how important and powerful it is. Whatever precise crimes Mountbatten-Windsor is or isn’t guilty of, in one incredibly fortuitous photo Noble has captured the visceral anguish of having to live with what you’ve done, and contend with its repercussions.
It’s the eyes that do it. They suck you into the photo’s abyss: Mountbatten-Windsor is aghast, stupefied, frozen in wide-eyed dismay and distress. Those red eyes, like two little portals to hell, are not angry or vicious: they are dazed and overwhelmed. They’re the same eyes you see in the anguished howler of Edvard Munch’s The Scream or Gustave Courbet’s Desperate Man.
Summary of developments so far
Police said they are continuing their search of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Berkshire. He was released from custody after being held by police for more than 10 hours. He has not been charged with any offence.
Police have concluded searches at Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Calls are growing for Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the line of succession for the throne. He is currently eighth in line but some MPs have suggested he should be removed or give up his place, with one Tory minister saying it would be “the decent thing” to do.
A photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on newspapers around the world. Phil Noble, the Manchester-based Reuters photographer who captured the photo last night, said: “When you’re doing car shots it’s more luck than judgment.”
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest as an “extraordinary fall from grace” but says it won’t prompt another referendum on Australia becoming a republic. In his first comments about the arrest, Albanese told the Guardian’s Australian Politics podcast that referendums “are hard to pass” in his country.
Updated
Andrew arrest does not signify there will be justice for trafficking victims, says top US lawyer
A lawyer working for some of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims has said she does not believe there will be “any real justice” for those trafficked and abused by him and his high-profile associates, despite the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Gloria Allred, a women’s rights lawyer for 50 years, said although the UK had acted quickly on the allegation that the former prince had shared confidential documents with the disgraced financier while he was a trade envoy, there did not appear to be as much movement on sexual assault allegations against him.
“Apparently allegations concerning the state trade secrets and/or allegations of financial crimes are given priority and quick action, while allegations of rape and child sexual abuse and sex trafficking take many years to investigate and do not result in arrests and accountability for victims who are women and girls,” she said.
Read the full report here:
Calls grow for Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from royal line of succession following arrest
The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has led to calls for him to be removed from the line of succession for the throne.
As second son to the queen, the former prince was behind only his brother Charles in line for the throne when he was born in 1960.
However, he has since fallen well down the pecking order to eighth, behind Princess Lilibet, the Duke of Sussex’s daughter. It would take some extremely unlikely circumstances for him to ascend to become king.
But now Mountbatten-Windsor is facing calls for him to be removed from the line of succession altogether.
Andrew Bowie, the shadow Scotland secretary, told GB News:
I think it would be the decent thing. Of course, if he’s found guilty of this, I think parliament would be well within its rights to act to remove him from the line of succession.
But, let’s remember, he’s not been found guilty of anything just yet – he has yet to be charged with anything. So we have to let the police investigation run its course, and I think we should all act accordingly subsequent to that.
SNP leader Stephen Flynn also backed the move, telling the Sun:
The public will be rightly angry that a man who lied about being mates with Epstein could still be on course to be head of state.
His status in the royal line of succession should be considered, said Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, without explicitly calling for him to be removed immediately.
Davey said in a statement:
The most important thing right now is that the police be allowed to get on with their job, acting without fear or favour. But clearly this is an issue that parliament is going to have to consider when the time is right, naturally the monarchy will want to make sure he can never become king.
It comes as YouGov published polling today which showed 82% of Britons now believe Mountbatten‑Windsor should be removed from the royal line of succession entirely. Just 6% of respondents said he should remain.
Updated
Current line of succession
As of today, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in line for the throne after his great-niece, Princess Lilibet of Sussex, daughter of Prince Harry.
He was stripped of his royal titles last year as a result of his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Here is the current line of succession:
1. William, Prince of Wales
2. Prince George of Wales (son of William)
3. Princess Charlotte of Wales (daughter of William)
4. Prince Louis of Wales (son of William)
5. Harry, Duke of Sussex
6. Prince Archie of Sussex (son of Harry)
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex (daughter of Harry)
8. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
9. Princess Beatrice (daughter of Mountbatten-Windsor)
10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (daughter of Princess Beatrice)
11. Athena Mapelli Mozzi (daughter of Princess Beatrice)
12. Princess Eugenie (daughter of Mountbatten-Windsor)
13. August Brooksbank (son of Princess Eugenie)
14. Ernest Brooksbank (son of Princess Eugenie)
15. Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
16. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (son of Edward)
17. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (daughter of Edward)
18. Anne, Princess Royal
19. Peter Phillips (son of Anne)
20. Savannah Phillips (daughter of Peter Phillips)
21. Isla Phillips (daughter of Peter Phillips)
22. Zara Tindall (daughter of Anne)
23. Mia Tindall (daughter of Zara Tindall)
24. Lena Tindall (daughter of Zara Tindall)
25. Lucas Tindall (son of Zara Tindall)
Updated
Andrew should not be in line for throne, says Davey
Andrew’s status in the royal line of succession should be considered, says Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, without explicitly calling for him to be removed immediately.
Davey said in a statement: “The most important thing right now is that the police be allowed to get on with their job, acting without fear or favour. But clearly this is an issue that parliament is going to have to consider when the time is right, naturally the monarchy will want to make sure he can never become king.”
Updated
Video: How do news photographers capture timeless images?
At 7pm on Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was snapped in the back of a car by Phil Noble for Reuters, and the photo is now the defining image of the former prince’s arrest. Guardian Australia’s picture editor Carly Earl explains why the ‘viral’ photo of Mountbatten-Windsor is a masterclass in news photography, and why getting this kind of picture is notoriously difficult.
The Manchester-based photographer told Reuters that he travelled six hours to get to Norfolk when news of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest broke. After a tipoff, he made his way to Aylsham, about 36 miles from Sandringham, where he waited outside the town’s police station. A few members of the press were there, including two Reuters colleagues.
After six or seven hours of nothing happening, he decided to call it a day and began heading towards a hotel. Minutes later, however, he got a call from his colleague – Mountbatten-Windsor’s car had arrived at the police station.
He rushed back in time to see two vehicles leaving at high speed. He took six quick snaps – two showed police, two were blank and one was out of focus. But one captured Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back seat of a Range Rover, his hands loosely clasped and a slightly bewildered look on his face.
“You can plan and use your experience and know roughly what you need to do, but still everything needs to align,” said Noble.
“When you’re doing car shots it’s more luck than judgment.”
Updated
Zack Polanski calls for inquiry into public figures alleged to have committed offences
Green party leader Zack Polanski said there should be a full statutory inquiry after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
When asked for his reaction while he was campaigning in Gorton, Greater Manchester, he said: “I think it’s pretty awful. I think there are lots of questions to be asked.
“We really need a full statutory inquiry into public figures from institutions, where crimes have been committed – if they’ve been committed – what we knew, what other people in those institutions knew and, where necessary, to make sure that the appropriate people are removed.”
Polanski said he did not believe the country should have a monarchy.
“The monarchy are doing a pretty good job in themselves of not having their proudest moments over various issues we’ve seen in the last couple of years and, when the public are ready to have that national conversation about the monarchy, I think issues like this certainly don’t help the monarchy’s case.”
Updated
The PA news agency has been speaking to people outside Royal Lodge in Windsor where police are continuing their search of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence.
One man, who only gave his name as Rob, said he believed the royal family should have acted sooner when accusations against the former prince first came to light.
He said: “They left it far too long. He’s paid the price. The British law is going to sort it out.
“He’s not been proven guilty of anything at the moment and, until that happens, life will just carry on as it is.”
Australian PM says former prince Andrew has suffered ‘extraordinary fall’ but that won’t prompt another republic referendum
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has described Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest as an “extraordinary fall from grace” but says the latest crisis facing the British royal family won’t prompt another referendum on Australia becoming a republic.
In his first comments about the arrest, Albanese told the Guardian’s Australian Politics podcast that Mountbatten-Windsor had lived a life of absolute privilege.
“This appears to be about [classified] documents, and whether they were inappropriately forwarded on to someone who wasn’t eligible<” he said. “But, of course, there’s the bigger issue as well when it comes to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. No doubt, we will wait and see where this all goes.”
Despite his longstanding support for an Australian republic, Albanese said the government was not planning another referendum.
“I’m a republican but we had a referendum during the last term,” the Labor leader said. “Referendums are hard to pass in Australia.”
Read the full report here:
Timeline of Andrew's arrest
8am: On the morning of his 66th birthday, Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor is arrested at Wood Farm on the king’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
10.03am: Thames Valley police issues a statement confirming a man in his 60s has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and taken into custody. The force said they were carrying out searches at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire.
12pm: King Charles issues a statement, saying “the law must take its course” and that the police had the royal family’s “full and wholehearted support and cooperation”.
12.43pm: The PA news agency reports that the Prince and Princess of Wales support the king’s statement.
7pm: Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured in the back of a vehicle leaving Aylsham police station in Norfolk.
7.31pm: Thames Valley police issues an update on its investigation, saying the arrested man has been released under investigation and that searches in Norfolk have concluded. The force added that searches in Berkshire are still under way.
8pm: Pictures emerge on the newswires showing Mountbatten-Windsor returning to Sandringham.
This morning: There have been no further updates from police but several unmarked vehicles and uniformed police officers were seen arriving at Royal Lodge, while security officers remained at the gates to Windsor Great Park, in Berkshire.
For more details on how the day unfolded, read Harriet Sherwood’s report here:
Updated
What police have said so far
We know Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at about 8am yesterday morning at the Sandringham estate, where news agencies photographed unmarked police vehicles arriving at Wood Farm.
Thames Valley police issued a statement shortly after, confirming that a man in his 60s had been arrested and taken into custody and searches were being carried out at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire.
Police did not name Mountbatten-Windsor personally. Since 2013, the UK College of Policing has said forces should not name those arrested or suspected of a crime, other than in exceptional circumstances.
After arrest, a case is considered “active” under the Contempt of Court Act, a law which is meant to ensure that public statements or articles do not prejudice future legal proceedings.
Thames Valley police issued another statement after Mountbatten-Windsor was seen leaving Aylsham police station last night. It read: “On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrested man has now been released under investigation.
“We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded.”
The force said its searches in Berkshire were still under way, and that it would make no further statement at this time.
Why was Andrew arrested and what happens next?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested yesterday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, becoming the first royal to have been held in custody in more than 350 years. He has since been released and pictured last night returning to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
The arrest appeared related to his conduct as a UK trade envoy, between 2001 and 2011, and followed the disclosure of emails related to Jeffrey Epstein. Among the files released by the US Department of Justice were documents that appeared to show the former prince forwarding sensitive government documents and commercial information to the convicted sex offender. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Police said they have finished searching Mountbatten-Windsor’s home in Sandringham but officers would continue to search Royal Lodge, his former home in Berkshire.
King Charles, who did not know in advance about the arrest, said: “The law must take its course.”
To find out more about why Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and what happens next, click here:
Updated
Epstein estate agrees to $35m settlement in victim claims
The estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has agreed to pay up to $35m (£26m) to settle the outstanding legal claims of potentially dozens of victims, according to a court document.
The AFP news agency reported that the settlement is related to victims who said they were “sexually assaulted or abused or trafficked” by Epstein between 1 January 1995, and through 10 August 2019, the date of the disgraced financier’s death in prison, according to the court filing.
Epstein’s estate would pay $35m if there are 40 or more people eligible in the class and $25m (£18.6m) if there are fewer than 40.
The family of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls, responded last night to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
“Astonished to see Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested today over alleged misconduct in public office linked to material from the so‑called Epstein ‘Files’,” they posted on an X account run by Maxwell’s siblings.
“He is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair process – which our sister Ghislaine never received. We need transparency, evidence, and the same rules for everyone – not trial by media and political expediency.”
Pictures: Detectives continue their searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windor’s former home in Berkshire.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, said there should be more transparency over how the monarchy operates.
When asked about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, he told BBC Breakfast: “I think we should have in our minds the survivors, the victims of Epstein, who are having to look at all this reporting and possibly reliving their traumas.
“So it is quite a shocking situation. Let the police do their work.”
He continued: “I think more broadly, going forward, we do need to see more transparency, and parliament has a really important role to play, and I think we need to, you know, sort of help the monarchy get over this – it’s a really important part of our country – and the way that, I think, will go forward, is having more transparency over how they operate.”
The best of Thursday's coverage
Here are the main stories from yesterday on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest:
Why was the former prince arrested and what happens next? Our home affairs editor Rajeev Syal explains:
Read Harriet Sherwood’s report on how the ‘most shocking’ day unfolded:
While the spotlight has been on Mountbatten-Windsor, his arrest has prompted questions about what is next for his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. Robyn Vinter reports:
Multiple police forces are investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to the UK. Sammy Gecsoyler takes a look at which forces are involved and what they are looking into:
While Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest came after years of uproar over his association with Epstein, documents show he had been on the radar of US law enforcement for nearly 15 years. Victoria Bekiempis reports:
You can find our full report on yesterday’s events here:
Andrew's arrest 'a very sad thing' - Trump
US president Donald Trump described Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest as a “shame” and “very sad thing”.
When asked by reporters for his reaction, he said:
I’m the expert in a way because I’ve been totally exonerated so I can speak about it …
I think it’s a shame. I think it’s very sad. I think it’s so bad for the royal family. It’s very, very sad. To me, it’s a very sad thing. When I see that, it’s a very sad thing …
To see that and to see everything that’s going on with his brother, who is coming to our country very soon, the king … so I think it’s a very sad thing.
King Charles is due to visit the US in April.
The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office in the UK has prompted calls from US lawmakers and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to demand accountability for those linked to the late sex offender across the Atlantic.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s Republican representative Thomas Massie – who co-sponsored legislation with California’s Democratic representative Ro Khanna to compel the justice department to release millions of files related to Epstein – called for action in the US.
“Prince Andrew was just arrested. This was the metric I established for success of the Epstein Files Transparency Act that @RepRoKhanna and I got passed,” Massie wrote on X.
He went on to urge US attorney general Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel “to act”, adding: “Now we need JUSTICE in the United States.”
Robert Garcia, the ranking member of the House of Representatives’ oversight committee, issued a similar statement, saying: “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest is an enormous step forward in our fight to secure justice for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s horrific crimes … Now it’s the time for the United States to end this White House cover up. President Trump and his Epstein administration are not above the law.”
Lawmakers have asked Mountbatten-Windsor to come to the US to testify about his ties to Epstein.
For the full story, click here:
While Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest by British police on Thursday came after years of uproar over his association with Jeffrey Epstein, documents show he had been on the radar of US law enforcement for nearly 15 years.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s name came up during a 2011 FBI inquiry into Epstein, investigative documents recently disclosed by the justice department reveal. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied all allegations of misconduct related to Epstein.
In March of that year, agents traveled to Australia after an Epstein victim contacted federal prosecutors in south Florida, saying she had “information pertinent” to the late financier and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The victim’s name is redacted from several documents chronicling the interview, but details closely track the public and legal claims made by Virginia Giuffre, a well-known Epstein accuser who died by suicide last year.
For the full story, click here:
Here are some pictures from the newswires from Thursday when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested:
Updated
Police search to continue at Royal Lodge, Andrew's former home
A search at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former Berkshire home by UK police remains under way following the former prince’s arrest on Thursday.
Even though Thames Valley police have concluded searches at Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham estate where he was arrested, the search continues at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, has consistently denied wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
It is understood that neither the King nor Buckingham Palace had been informed before the arrest on Thursday morning. However, the Home Secretary was alerted to the arrest shortly before Andrew was taken into custody, it is understood.
Thames Valley Police denied briefing the Home Office before the arrest, but issued a statement from the National Police Chiefs’ Council to clarify that the NPCC did so.
The statement read: “In line with routine practice, the National Police Chiefs’ Council alerted operational colleagues within the Home Office of the arrest. This gave 30 minutes’ notice before Thames Valley Police made the arrest.”
PA contributed to the reporting.
Updated
Opening Summary
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released from custody by UK police on Thursday following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. No charges have been laid against him.
The arrest of the 66-year old former prince sent shockwaves through the UK and abroad, marking the first time a senior member of the royal family has been arrested in nearly 400 years.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest follow the recent release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
The former prince has denied all allegations of wrongdoing related to Epstein, including that he allegedly shared sensitive information with Epstein while he was serving as a trade envoy.
Without referring to Mountbatten-Windsor as his brother, King Charles released a statement on Thursday in which he said “the law must take its course.”
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump has called Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest a “very sad thing,” adding that it is “a shame” as US lawmakers and survivors of Epstein call for justice in the US.
Mountbatten-Windsor remains under investigation. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.
