The scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was already seen by some as the first real royal crisis his elder brother, King Charles, has faced in these opening years of his reign.
Still, it continues to evolve, and Andrew’s arrest Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office marks just the latest unprecedented development in the unprecedented story of the former prince who also once served as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom.
“In many ways, this crisis for the Royal Family moving forward is more of a personal one than a constitutional or institutional one,” royal historian Justin Vovk said Thursday via email.
“The removal of Andrew’s titles, rank and privileges last year effectively established a firewall between Andrew and the monarchy as an institution.”
Given that there is now an ongoing police investigation — for which Charles has declared his full support — Vovk said the crisis will largely play out behind closed doors.
“This is a crisis that the family, and not the institution, will have to navigate for themselves.”
The arrest comes after the scrutiny that has surrounded Andrew’s relationship with the late American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew, who was held for nearly 12 hours before he was released under investigation later Thursday, has not been charged. He has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
As much as the crisis around Andrew could be a personal one for members of the Royal Family, there will be continued public scrutiny on how the institution as a whole moves forward in the shadow of the scandal.
‘Continue in our duty’
As signalled in Charles’s message after the arrest Thursday — where he said “my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all” — there will be an effort to show it’s royal business as usual.
“They are carrying on. There has been no announcement by the royal household, by the government, that any of their formal duties are expected to be cancelled,” said Judith Rowbotham, a social and cultural scholar and visiting research professor at the University of Plymouth in southwestern England, in an interview.
Indeed, King Charles had — at least publicly — a relatively routine day in royal terms Thursday. He met new ambassadors to the U.K. at St. James’s Palace and attended a public engagement — in this case taking a front-row seat on the opening day of London Fashion Week.
Queen Camilla was at a previously scheduled mid-day outing, where she met musicians and watched a lunchtime concert.
“The monarchy itself, the institution is keeping calm and carrying on,” said Rowbotham, “and there is no sign so far of any public demand for either this current Royal Family to be evicted from their roles within the institution or of … an overwhelming public desire to see Britain become a republic.”
For some who do wish to see that, Andrew’s arrest Thursday was welcome.
Calling for an investigation
The anti-monarchy group Republic has been vigorous in its calls for a police investigation of Andrew.
“We reported Andrew to the police when others were unwilling to act. Republic has been instigating a private prosecution when the police were reluctant to investigate,” Republic CEO Graham Smith said in a statement.
“Republic’s lawyers will continue to investigate related alleged offences and provide information to the police over the coming weeks and months.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles and a former prince, has been arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein, according to multiple U.K. media reports.
Smith also continued Republic’s calls to hear more directly from senior royals on the matter.
Charles and his heir and elder son, Prince William, “need to speak up and admit to whatever they have known, when and why they continued to protect Andrew,” Smith said.
Still, the decision to strip Andrew of his title last year may have mitigated some of the direct impact of Thursday’s arrest for King Charles.
‘A very clear demarcation line’
“The divorce from Andrew that was undertaken last year … means that, in some ways, this will have less of an effect on the King than it would have if this had transpired one year ago,” said Vovk.
“Instead, the arrest has drawn a very clear demarcation line between Andrew and the rest of the Royal Family that they have no desire to cross — specifically the involvement of British police and an ongoing criminal investigation.”
As much as Thursday’s arrest was a significant moment in the saga surrounding Andrew, it is only that — a single moment in an ongoing story full of uncertainty.
Chris Ship, royal editor for ITV, notes that the last time a member of the Royal Family was taken into custody was the end of the English Civil War, when King Charles I was seized by Parliament. The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, comes after his royal titles had already been stripped and he was kicked out of the royal estate at Windsor Castle.
“The arrest raises a whole slew of new questions,” said Vovk.
“Naturally, people will be wondering if this investigation will lead to further charges directly related to Andrew’s personal conduct with Epstein.”
Questions will also arise, Vovk suggested, around how extensive Andrew’s social networks were — whom they included and what, if any, sensitive information was shared.
What about his family?
There will also be inevitable curiosity around Andrew’s immediate family — his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Headlines in recent days have noted that six companies linked to Ferguson were being wound down, after references emerged in the Epstein files suggesting that she told him about her desperation over her financial difficulties, the BBC reported.
“I think she’s run out of opportunities for reinventing herself as a high-profile figure,” said Rowbotham.
Public opinion on Beatrice and Eugenie, Rowbotham said, is somewhat split.
“There are those who feel that they have been on the whole well-behaved young women that, where they have been dragged into the Epstein circle, it’s been by their parents and that they themselves have not had any real choice in the matter.”
But there has also been some media criticism, Rowbotham noted, of their support for their parents.
Still, Rowbotham said, Charles hasn’t stripped them of their princess titles.
“I think the King would be reluctant to do so without very substantial evidence. But we will just have to wait and see.”