Former British Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor released

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who was stripped of his royal titles due to his relationships with American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein—who was accused of establishing a sex trafficking ring—had been detained as part of an investigation into misconduct in public office. The Thames Valley Police stated that 66-year-old former Prince Andrew has been released and that the investigation is ongoing. The police reported that the search at Andrew's address in Norfolk has concluded, while the search at his address in Berkshire is still underway.

"The law must take its course"

Following Andrew's detention, King Charles III issued a written statement: "I have learned with great concern the news regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the suspicion of misconduct in public office. A full, fair, and proper process will now begin, in which this matter will be investigated appropriately by the competent authorities. As I have said before, we are providing full and sincere support and cooperation to the authorities in this matter. I want to state clearly that the law must take its course. While this process is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further. My family and I will continue our duty and service to you all."

Andrew seen forwarding confidential information to Epstein

On January 30, the US Department of Justice released 3.5 million pages of documents, 180,000 photographs, and 2,000 videos related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose connections to high-level politicians and business people have been the subject of scandals. The documents revealed that former Prince Andrew had forwarded reports regarding visits to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, as well as confidential information about investment opportunities, to Epstein. According to the documents, Andrew forwarded official visit reports to Epstein just 5 minutes after receiving them from his then-special advisor Amit Patel on November 30, 2010, following the trips. It was also observed that information regarding investment opportunities in Afghanistan, marked as "confidential," was transferred to Epstein on December 24, 2010.

Inappropriate photos were published

The documents revealed that an individual nicknamed "The Duke," believed to be Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—who was stripped of his prince and duke titles due to the British Royal Family's ties to Epstein—received an offer from Epstein to be introduced to a 26-year-old Russian woman. In email correspondence between Epstein and the person nicknamed "The Duke," it was noted that the pair discussed having dinner at Buckingham Palace, and in one message, Epstein offered to introduce the Duke to a 26-year-old Russian woman. The latest documents released by the US Department of Justice also included inappropriate photos of former Prince Andrew with a woman.

Andrew had renounced his title of Duke of York

On October 17 of last year, Andrew announced that he had renounced his title of Duke of York due to his connections with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In his statement, Andrew said, "We have concluded that the ongoing allegations against me have cast a shadow over the work carried out by His Majesty and the Royal Family. As always, I am determined to prioritize my duties to my family and my country. I stand by my decision to withdraw from public life five years ago. With His Majesty's approval, we believe I must now take a step further. Therefore, I will no longer use the titles and honors bestowed upon me. As I have said before, I vehemently deny the allegations against me."

Following Andrew's statement, Buckingham Palace announced that the princely title of Andrew, brother of King Charles III, had also been removed and requested that he vacate his residence at Windsor Castle, one of the main residences of the monarchy. It was announced that the decision was made due to Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince left his home at Windsor Castle, the official residence of the Royal Family, on Wednesday, February 4.

News Source: 12punto