Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor latest: Police issue update on Royal Lodge search after minister calls ex-duke ‘arrogant and entitled’ – UK Times

Jeffrey Epstein may have played a role in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor becoming a UK trade envoy, a shadow minister has suggested as the government agreed to release the bombshell documents related to his appointment.

In an unprecedented day in parliament that saw MPs from all sides line up to admonish the former prince, trade minister Sir Chris Bryant described Mr Mountbatten-Windsor as “a rude, arrogant and entitled man who could not distinguish between the public interest, which he said he served, and his own private interest”.

MPs unanimously supported a motion to release files related to his appointmentto the trade envoy role, waving it through without a vote after the government backed the Liberal Democrat-led calls to publish the papers, including any vetting and any correspondence from Lord Mandelson.

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke has this report:

An individual was filmed hanging a picture of the former prince, taken by Reuters photographer Phil Noble after Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation, in the Paris museum.

It’s been 90 years since a British royal was removed from the line of succession. That might happen again now that Britain’s government says it will consider introducing legal changes to formally remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the list of royals in line to the throne.

Despite being stripped of his status as prince in October over his close links with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the former Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother, remains eighth in line to become monarch.

Experts say the process of removing him from the line of succession could be lengthy because it requires the involvement of about a dozen countries that also call the British monarch their head of state.

Nonetheless, momentum for change appears to be building after police last week arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

But how would removing him from the line of succession work? You can read more below:

A spokesperson for Christopher Luxon, the country’s prime minister, said: “If the UK government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.”

Police have said any updates in their investigation into alleged misconduct by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are “unlikely to be for some time”.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Thames Valley Police said officers had finished searches at Royal Lodge and would continue to probe the allegations.

“It is important that our investigators are given the time and space to progress their work,” assistant chief constable Oliver Wright said.

“We will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so, but this is unlikely to be for some time.”

Searches at Royal Lodge have now finished following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, police have confirmed.

In a statement, officers said: “Thames Valley Police can confirm the searches in Berkshire in connection to its investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office have now ended.”

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: “Officers have now left the location we have been searching in Berkshire. This concludes the search activity that commenced following our arrest of a man in his sixties from Norfolk on Thursday.

“We understand the significant public interest in this case and our investigation remains ongoing.

“It is important that our investigators are given the time and space to progress their work. We will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so, but this is unlikely to be for some time.”

Future monarchs William and Kate will need to make their vision for the institution, now in what some have suggested is its worst crisis for 90 years, clear in order to rebuild public trust.