British police have appealed for new witnesses as they work through a trove of information relating to allegations of misconduct in public office by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of Britain’s King Charles III, who was stripped of his royal titles over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Thames Valley police said Friday in a statement that they were working with the U.S. Justice Department and Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service in a wide-ranging probe following the release of Epstein files in the United States. The comments mark the first update by police into the investigation following the arrestof a “man in his sixties” who was interviewed and released in February.
Police have not commented on the specifics of the allegations or named Mountbatten-Windsor directly in accordance with U.K. guidance. In February, searches were carried out at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor was living at the time. He has not been charged and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Police are also assessing reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for “sexual purposes,” the statement said, adding that police had been in touch with the woman’s legal representatives.
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said the “complex investigation” is ongoing and urged anyone with information to come forward.
“Our team of very experienced detectives are working meticulously through a significant amount of information that has come in from the public and other sources,” he said. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into all reasonable lines of enquiry, wherever they may lead.”
Police said the update was given to emphasize the broad nature of the misconduct allegations, which can include elements such as corruption, fraud and sexual misconduct. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service.
Mountbatten-Windsor was previously known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, before being stripped of his royal titles in October over his ties to Epstein. He was last seen in public attending an Easter church service at Windsor Castle in late April.
The February arrest came after the release of the latest tranche of Epstein files in the U.S., indicating he may have provided confidential government documents to Epstein from his role as a trade envoy for the U.K. The development was met with a terse statement from Charles, saying it had caused “deepest concern” and that “the law must take its course.”
Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have long been a thorn in the side of the British royal family, with the steady drumbeat of revelations of the nature of his relationship with Epstein confronted differently by generations of royals.
The king’s treatment of his younger brother, which included stripping his titles and honors and ousting him from the Royal Lodge at Windsor to Sandringham, has contrasted with the softer approach of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was widely thought to have a soft spot for her second son.
She had refrained from acting against him despite allegations of sexual misconduct from Virginia Giuffre, which Mountbatten-Windsor denied. It was only after a disastrous “Newsnight” interview in 2019 that Buckingham Palace announced he would step back from public duties “for the foreseeable future.”
Friday’s police appeal came a day after the British government released documents related to Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as special representative for trade and investment in 2001 following a naval career. British lawmakers had requested information relating to his appointment, suitability for the role and any vetting conducted.
The documents show Elizabeth was “very keen” for the then-duke to have a “prominent role in the promotion of national interests,” according to a letter from David Wright, the chief executive of British Trade International. It is the queen’s “wish” that the Duke of York take on the role, Wright wrote in February 2000 after discussion with the queen’s private secretary, adding that Mountbatten-Windsor would be a “natural fit.”
The appointment came despite doubts over his experience and suitability, including over his links with Peter Mandelson, a former politician and ambassador to the U.S. who was fired last fall over his relationship with Epstein.
Labour trade minister Chris Bryant, whose agency released the documents, said that it found “no evidence” that due diligence or vetting were undertaken or considered but that “this is understandable” considering the royal family’s involvement in the promotion of overseas trade.
Karla Adam contributed to this report
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