King Charles III has said he is supporting the police investigation into his brother, Andrew, insisting “the law must take its course”, a clear indication there should be no favour shown.
The United Kingdom is a country where even the most senior Royals can’t escape the law, it was shown on Thursday, after the brother of the King was arrested on suspicion of “misconduct in public office”. The arrest relates to emails containing privileged government information he is alleged to have sent disgraced and deceased paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein over 15 years ago while Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formally known as Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, while he served the British government as a trade envoy.
Although no misdeeds by Andrew regarding this alleged sharing of secrets or alleged involvement with young women procured by Epstein have yet been proven in a court of law, the King already moved to strip Andrew of his Royal position and titles last year. On Thursday, after the arrest, the King continued to signal support for the legal process, and stated that he would be cooperating with the authorities who, after all, operate in his name as head of state.
King Charles III said in a statement today that he felt the “deepest concern” about the allegations and said about the importance of absolute legal correctness: “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.”
For the apparent avoidance of all doubt, the King added: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”
British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph states the future King and Queen, Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales, backed the King’s statement.
Prince Andrew, as he was then, had served in the Royal Navy including in combat in the Falklands War as a helicopter pilot. He retired from the armed forces in 2001 and took up a new role as a special representative for international trade and investment for the British government of the time. He was photographed walking in Central Park, New York, with Jeffrey Epstein shortly after the financier was released from prison for child sex offences, causing a scandal around Andrew that triggered his resignation from the trade role in early 2011.
Some media observers have claimed, incredibly, that the arrest is without precedent. This may be the so in recent times, but the political and dynastic fallout of troublesome brothers to various Kings has been the norm in the history of the various royal families in the history of the British Isles and indeed, Wednesday this week was the anniversary of the execution of the Duke of Clarence, the brother of King Richard III, in 1478, allegedly by drowning in a vat of wine.
Police avoided arresting Andrew on such an inauspicious date, however, sweeping down on his residence the following day: his 66th birthday.