In his comments early Thursday, the king directly addressed the British public and signed the statement “Charles R” rather than the usual practice of issuing it through Buckingham Palace.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.”
“In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
Charles did not respond when he was asked for further comment by reporters as he attended an event to mark the start of London Fashion Week.
The scandal surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor has centered on the accusations of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein to his powerful friends, including the former prince.
Mountbatten-Windsor stepped back from active royal duties in 2019 and in 2022 reached a legal settlement with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount after she filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging that the former prince sexually abused her when she was 17.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied having had sex with Giuffre.
On Thursday, the Giuffre family released a statement responding to Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” the family said. “For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
It is extremely rare for a senior member of the royal family — or someone who used to hold such status — to be arrested.
In 2002, Princess Anne, the sister of the king and Mountbatten-Windsor, was convicted under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her English bull terrier, Dotty, bit two children while walking in Windsor Great Park.
British media said at the time it was the first instance of a royal being convicted of a criminal offense, but she was not arrested.
“I can’t think of anything like this in modern times,” the royal historian and author Sarah Gristwood told NBC News. “It is the first age in which someone who was very recently a senior royal could be treated like any other common criminal.”
Plenty of senior figures were imprisoned in the times of royal families such as the Tudors and the Stuarts, who ruled between the 15th and 18th centuries, but only on political grounds, Gristwood said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nbcnews.com ’
