“The law must take its course,” said King Charles III in a grave and carefully worded statement, as Britain’s former Prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a stunning and unprecedented development that has shaken the foundations of the monarchy.
According to reports, this marks the first time the Duke of York has been detained in connection with allegations tied directly to his public role. The 66-year-old, once a senior working royal and now a deeply controversial figure, was taken into custody as part of an active and intensifying investigation.
After 11 hours in custody, Andrew was released under investigation: uncharged, yet far from absolved. Photographs captured the fallen prince slumped silently in the back of a car, the weight of uncertainty etched across his face as the gates closed behind him.
A King’s distance, a family’s test
In an official statement heavy with emotion and constitutional restraint, the King declared, “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.
“As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
The King’s position was swiftly and firmly backed by William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who voiced their support for his stance, reinforcing a united royal front.
While many believe that the statement was remarkable as a reigning monarch publicly distanced himself from and sided against his own brother as the machinery of criminal justice began to turn, Graham Smith, CEO and lead campaigner for the anti-monarchy group Republic voiced that the stamen way absolutely the bare minimum they could have done. “The only thing remarkable is that they said anything at all”, he said in a press conference.
He also called the arrest as an extraordinary action accusing the authorities of turning a blind eye. He added, “I believe this has been a constant evolution, with the royals consistently trying to do the minimum they could get away with and so they pulled the plug on Andrew and took all of his titles away and probably thought that was enough.”
“At each stage of this, they always think, "Well, that's enough," and then they find out later on that it really isn't.
“So they've now most likely concluded that there's no more road for them to go down other than to simply concede that the police have to do their job. Now whether or not there is any effort behind the scenes to try and steer around this and get Andrew off or to avoid a prosecution or whatever, then you know, we'll have to see.”
Graham, asked if the mud of this scandal is sticking to the King and Prince William, said that the monarchy should be expected to answer questions. “They should be in front of cameras and journalists making a very clear statement and then taking questions.
“And that statement needs to be along the lines of, you know, we want to be absolutely clear the police must follow the evidence wherever it leads, even if it's to our own doorstep. That we will make sure that all records and files are open and available not just to the police but to parliamentarians who want to investigate, to journalists, to anybody. That we will end secrecy, that we will put everything out through the Freedom of Information Act.”
Succession in question
Meanwhile, the government is weighing an extraordinary constitutional step: stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his place in the royal line of succession. Whitehall sources told Sky News that ministers are prepared to consider legislation, but only once the police investigation now engulfing the former duke has run its course.
Additionally, public sentiment has turned sharply against him. A YouGov poll found an overwhelming 82 per cent of Britons support removing him from the succession, with just 6 per cent opposed and 12 per cent undecided.
Andrew, currently eighth in line to the throne behind Prince William, his three children, and Prince Harry and his two children, was arrested and interviewed under caution on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a moment without modern precedent.
The King stripped Andrew of his royal titles last year amid the fallout from his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has denied wrongdoing over those links but has yet to directly address the latest claims.
Police close in as investigation continues
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police has widened its investigation, contacting current and former royal protection officers as detectives examine whether London airports were used to facilitate trafficking and exploitation. Aides, close confidants and business associates are also among those who may be questioned as the inquiry deepens.
Those understood to be of interest to investigators include Amanda Thirsk, Dominic Hampshire, Ghislaine Maxwell and David Stern, as well as Amit Patel, a former special adviser to Andrew.
Patel assisted Andrew during his tenure as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2010. A former surgeon who left medicine to pursue a career in medical technology and insurance, Patel accompanied Andrew on more than 300 official visits and engagements.
Patel now runs an insurance company and also serves as a trustee of a charitable organisation.
The British Crown, built on centuries of continuity and mystique, now faces a modern reckoning as Royal commentator Peter Hunt describes the whole situation as “seismic”, warning the monarchy had been thrust into “uncharted waters”.
As several questions remain unanswered, the law, as the King himself declared, must take its course.
