A member of the royal family in custody, a country and a monarchical institution in crisis. The arrest of the former Prince Andrew has caused a stir in the United Kingdom. He was taken from his "private" residence in Sandringham by a patrol of police officers and officials on charges of "unlawful conduct in the exercise of a public function" in connection with the scandal surrounding his close association with the late American pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. He was released (as a suspect) only that evening, after 12 hours of detention and questioning, only to be shown to his subjects by the media , his face distorted with rage in the back seat of the Range Rover that was taking him home.
A sensational and unprecedented development in modern British history, though perhaps belated for the Kingdom's reputation, occurred—full of humiliation—on the 66th birthday of the arrogant former Duke of York. To which 77-year-old King Charles III, the reprobate's elder brother, this time reacted with a terrifying and unprecedented tone. "Let me be clear, justice must take its course," he cut short, promising "support and cooperation" to the investigating authorities, before reassuring that the remnants of the Royal Family will continue to carry out their "duties in the service" of the state. These clear words were also echoed by his eldest son, William, and his wife, Kate, heirs to a throne whose future currently appears truly fraught with uncertainty.
Later, the sovereign reaffirmed his commitment to remain in the spotlight, shrugging off, at least for now, the prophecy of those who haven't ruled out his abdication sooner or later (also given his cancer diagnosis two years ago). He appeared smiling in public with Queen Camilla at the opening of London Fashion Week, alongside Stella McCartney. He was greeted with applause, as well as pressing questions that were duly ignored, and a few occasional objections. All this against the backdrop of a country where the anti-monarchical fringe of the Republic movement appears more confident than ever, claiming to have helped question the royals' "impunity" and past cover-ups. And where the unpopular Labour government of Keir Starmer is itself grappling with the backlash from the Epstein affair.
Peter Mandelson, the much-discussed former minister and eminence grise of Tony Blair's New Labour, is also under investigation for serious suspicions similar to those surrounding Andrea. Sir Keir had unexpectedly reinstated him last year as Donald Trump's ambassador to the US, only to be forced to fire him and now proclaim—regarding the situation of the king's brother—that "no one can be above the law." Meanwhile, Andrea had to spend the entire day of his birthday in a holding cell, far removed from the pomp and privilege he has always enjoyed: albeit in a single cell, with a bathroom and a cot. He was arrested by Thames Valley Police, who swooped in with six unmarked vehicles on the country residence where he was recently confined by his brother the king after his eviction from the luxurious Royal Lodge adjacent to Windsor Castle. and after having been stripped in recent months of his last remaining titles to find himself reduced to the almost ordinary rank of "Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor".
Technically, he hasn't been charged yet, but he remains under investigation. Evidently, the evidence gathered by the police, who in recent hours have also searched three properties he once occupied and seized various documents, must have accumulated. The charges relate solely to the alleged abuse of office uncovered by the Epstein files: the overseas publication of emails revealing how Andrea shared confidential information with his "friend" Jeffrey between 2010 and 2011 regarding official missions he then carried out in Asia as an emissary and commercial spokesperson for the British government.
This thread joins eight other files opened or reopened by numerous police departments on the repercussions of the Epstein scandal on the island : starting with suspicions of sex trafficking on the private flights of the infamous Lolita Express, which between the 1990s and 2018 allegedly brought dozens of girls to the UK, made available to celebrity friends (like Andrea and others). This latest chapter, on which former Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent investigators "a five-page memorandum" with new information.
Meanwhile, some in America are now wondering why "a royal can be arrested and a president" (or other rich and powerful individuals) cannot. And a message of vindication comes from the family of Virginia Giuffre , a victim of Epstein who had alleged that she had been pressured into having sex with Queen Elizabeth's "darling" at least three times, at just 17 years old. Giuffre later challenged his denials and forced him into a multi-million dollar out-of-court settlement before committing suicide in Australia last year. This family's moral verdict has already been written: "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was never a prince." The arrest of the former Prince Andrew is "bad for the royal family," comments Donald Trump, who praises King Charles as a "fantastic man" and announces that he will soon visit the United States.
(Unioneonline)