London — British police were seen searching the former residence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor again on Friday, a day after the royal previously known as Prince Andrew was arrested over revelations in the documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Thames Valley Police confirmed that searches were still underway Friday at the royal family’s Windsor estate, west of London, as he remained under investigation following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday morning and held by the police for nearly 12 hours. He was later allowed to return to his new home on his brother King Charles III’s private Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England. The police said the 66-year-old man detained earlier in the day was “released under investigation,” meaning he was free to go without restrictions while the investigation continues.
The police also said searches of the Sandringham residence concluded on Thursday. He only moved to that home earlier in February, after living for many decades at the Royal Lodge in Windsor. King Charles forced him to move as part of measures to distance his younger brother from the royal family as allegations mounted with the release of new Epstein files.
An image captured by a Reuters news agency photographer showed Mountbatten-Windsor in the back seat of a vehicle as he was driven back home on Thursday evening, with a surprised look on his face.
Phil Noble/REUTERS
He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct while in public office, not for any offenses involving his many documented encounters with young women linked to Epstein. Among the trove of documents released by the U.S. government are emails indicating the royal shared confidential U.K. government information with Epstein about his trips to Southeast Asia, and about possible investment opportunities in Afghanistan, in 2010-2011.
Andrew was an official trade representative for the British government at the time.
“There is a suggestion from those emails and those documents that he sent highly confidential, highly classified, very sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein and other contacts,” Roya Nikkhah, the royal editor for the Sunday Times newspaper, told CBS News on Thursday, noting that Andrew is the first senior member of the royal family to be arrested in about 400 years.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing linked to his longtime friendship with Epstein.
King Charles said in a statement Thursday after his brother’s arrest that the “law must take its course.”
The royals carried on with their public events schedule on Thursday. King Charles attended London’s Fashion Week on Thursday while his wife Queen Camilla attended a concert in Westminster. Charles and Andrew’s sister, Princess Anne, visited a prison in the northern England city of Leeds, meanwhile, for a pre-scheduled tour.
If Mountbatten-Windsor is convicted of misconduct in public office he could face life in prison.
He is free to move around while under investigation, but police can re-arrest him for more questioning at any time.
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