Ashley James breaks down in tears discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on This Morning as a sufferer of sexual abuse

Ashley James broke down in tears on This Morning while discussing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

On Friday’s episode of the ITV show, Ashley was among a panel of guests discussing the disgrace royal being arrested yesterday.

Speaking on This Morning about Andrew’s arrest and having watched a short clip of Virginia Giuffre’s family, she said, dabbing tears from her eyes: ‘I felt very emotional watching this actually. There’s a reason I feel so upset about it.

‘So many of us have watched the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein try to get justice  and I felt a huge sense of relief yesterday watching Andrew be arrested.

‘Of course, his arrest is about state matters and not about the alleged sexual abuse of Virginia Giuffre, who of course is no longer here.

‘I think the fact that it took so long and she is no longer here for justice to be served.

‘And as Virginia’s brother said yesterday, this feels like the thread that is slowly starting to be unravelled.

‘Hopefully we will see accountability. It feels so personal for lots of women and girls watching this, because the atrocities linked to Jeffrey Epstein and not only was part of that, but also knew about it.’

It comes as earlier this month, Ashley bravely revealed for the first time that she was raped by a male friend when she was a 21-year-old student at Nottingham University.

Ashley recounted her rape in her new book, Bimbo, explaining it occurred after a night out at a club with pals, and she’d been unconscious.

Writing how the assault had been ‘one of the very worst moments of my life’, she described ‘the shame and silence’ she lived with afterwards and voiced her hope it would ‘change the conversation’ around rape and victim blaming.

Ashley explained she didn’t report what happened because her attacker had been a friend rather than ‘a stranger in a dark alley’, which made it harder for her to accept he was a rapist, and as a result she turned the blame inwards.

In a chapter entitled Silly Girl – to reference to the way in which victims are dismissed and blame – she wrote: ‘It’s something I’ve never spoken about and yet I’ve thought about it every day since, increasingly so since having children.

‘It was one of the very worst moments of my life. It was hugely traumatic. I’m not telling the story to shock but as a mirror to show how common these experiences are – and also how broken the support system is.’

The former Made In Chelsea star went on: ‘I didn’t come forward. Not because I thought the police wouldn’t believe me, or that the courts would fail me, but because the man wasn’t a stranger in a dark alley. He was a friend.

‘And because of that, the only person I blamed was myself. For years. Even after it happened, I was more worried about him not liking me than I was about my own trauma. I was worried he’d tell other people and everyone would think I was a s**g.

‘So I didn’t tell anyone, and I even tried to stay friends with him. Even now I find it hard to think about him as a rapist. Even though that’s what he was, because I wasn’t asking for it. In fact, I was unconscious.

‘I’d worry about ruining his life. Yes, I was drunk. Yes, I was wearing going-out clothes, having come from a club. But I was with friends — people I trusted.’

‘We don’t teach girls that, one day, if they get the chance, their male friends might try to rape them…’ Ashely continued. ‘It doesn’t matter what you are wearing [or] if you had zero drinks or 1,000 drinks.’

On Thursday, it was revealed that former royal Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday, as plain-clothed officers arrived at the Sandringham Estate in six unmarked police cars just after 8am. 

A spokesman said officers were searching an address in Norfolk – believed to be Wood Farm where he is exiled – and an address in Berkshire, likely to be Royal Lodge in Windsor, where he lived for more than 20 years until this month.

‘The man remains in police custody at this time,’ the spokesman said at the time – but the force would not confirm where Andrew had been taken. He has since been released from custody, police confirmed on Thursday night.

Thames Valley Police held the eighth in line to the British throne on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Daily Mail was the first to reveal plain-clothed police, carried in six unmarked vehicles, had arrived at Wood Farm, where Andrew now lives.

A convoy including at least two royal Land Rovers linked to Andrew was photographed leaving the estate less than an hour later. His arrest was confirmed at 10.08am.

Detectives have been probing his conduct as a trade envoy for the UK after emails in the Epstein Files suggested he shared confidential information with his paedophile friend including reports of his official visits and potential investment opportunities.

A Thames Valley spokesman said: ‘We have today arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.’

The force said its officers are searching an address in Norfolk – believed to be Wood Farm where Andrew is exiled – and an address in Berkshire, likely to be Royal Lodge in Windsor, where he lived for more than 20 years until this month.

‘The man remains in police custody at this time,’ the spokesman said – but the force would not confirm where Andrew, who is celebrating his birthday today, had been taken.

Norfolk Police said it is ‘supporting’ the Thames Valley investigation but did not say if one of its stations was being used by detectives to interview Andrew.

Thames Valley Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: ‘Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.

‘It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.

‘We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.’

Onlookers said the group of eight people were in plain clothes ‘but appeared to be police officers’. One man appeared to be carrying a police-issue laptop.

They parked close to Prince Philip’s former home Wood Farm, where Andrew has been exiled. A convoy of vehicles was then photographed leaving.