Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office as police raided his Sandringham home on his 66th birthday, Thames Valley Police have confirmed.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be staring down the barrel of life behind bars after he was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Officers arrived at Andrew’s residence this morning, coinciding with his 66th birthday celebrations, Thames Valley Police confirmed. Misconduct in public office, which is what the former prince has been arrested for, is a common law offence in the UK that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
It is a serious, indictable-only offence targeting public officers who wilfully neglect their duties or misconduct themselves to such a degree that it amounts to an abuse of the public’s trust. At least six unmarked police vehicles were spotted entering Wood Farm in Sandringham around 8am today (February 19). Eight men, thought to be undercover officers, were seen entering the property carrying what looked like laptops.
This is the first time a member of the British royal family has been arrested, although several have been caught up in legal troubles.
Andrew has only recently moved to Wood Farm whilst renovations are being carried out on his new home at Marsh Farm. This comes as Sir Keir Starmer has urged Andrew to cooperate with authorities in the UK and US regarding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the Prime Minister stated: “Anybody who has any information should testify. So whether it’s Andrew or anybody else, anybody who has got relevant information should come forward to whatever the relevant body is, in this particular case we’re talking about Epstein, but there are plenty of other cases.
“Anybody who has got information relating to any aspect of violence against women and girls has, in my view, a duty to come forward, whoever they are.”
Sir Keir further added: “One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law, and nobody is above the law, and it is really important that is applied across the board.
“That is the principle. It’s a long-standing principle, it’s a very important principle of our country, our society, and it applies, and it has to apply in this case, in the same way as it would apply in any other case.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.