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Leaning forward in the back seat of his car, eyes wide and shaken, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor heads home from the police station.
The image appeared in nearly every British newspaper on Friday morning, the day after King Charles III’s brother was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police have not said what led to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, but he served as Britain’s trade envoy for 10 years. British authorities previously announced they were considering claims that he shared confidential information with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while head of the British government.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has not commented on the latest allegations against him, but has previously denied any wrongdoing in connection with Mr Epstein. He also said he never witnessed or suspected any of the acts of which the sex offender is accused.
Separately, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday that it had urged Mr Andrew’s current and former royal bodyguards to carefully consider whether “what they have seen and heard” could be relevant to the investigation into Mr Epstein and his associates.
After Thursday’s dramatic twist, what’s next in the story surrounding the former prince?
Ms Mountbatten-Windsor celebrated her 66th birthday in the custody of Thames Valley Police before being released on Thursday night and returning home to her Sandringham estate 10 hours later.
He was investigated and released. In other words, he has not been released on bail, so no conditions have been imposed on him.
That doesn’t mean he can’t have further discussions with authorities. He could be rearrested or asked to follow up.
British lawyer Chloe Jay told CNN that when he was interrogated while in custody, he should have been able to submit “things that he would like the police to investigate,” such as potential witnesses and an explanation, and that the police have an obligation to investigate this as evidence.
Detectives were seen arriving at Royal Lodge in Berkshire, west London, on Friday morning to continue searching for Andrew’s former home.
“When you arrest someone, you are allowed to search the land that they control or the property that they own,” former Metropolitan Police Superintendent Dal Babu explained on Thursday.
Police will search “the electronic devices and any information stored on them,” added Babb, who worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 30 years.
This next step could be a lengthy process as police continue to collect available evidence. Following a police investigation, it will ultimately be up to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to decide whether there are sufficient funds to prosecute him.
The CPS has so far failed to provide Thames Valley Police with “early investigation advice” as part of the force’s misconduct in public sector investigations. This means that CPS lawyers do not provide formal guidance to detectives on how to proceed.
Andrew may have lost his title and honor, but he remains eighth in line to the British throne. And as the controversy surrounding the former prince continues to snowball, calls for him to be removed from the line of succession are growing.
A poll released on Friday found that 82% of Britons think he should be removed from the line of succession to the throne.
Although extremely rare, it’s not entirely unheard of to take someone out of action.
王室メンバーは英国議会を通過した法案によって解任される可能性がある。 In addition, consent is required from each of the other 14 Commonwealth territories, including Australia and Canada, under treaties set out in the 1931 Act of Westminster.
Andrew Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, told Sky News on Friday: “I understand that Mr Andrew could voluntarily remove himself from the line of succession to the throne, or it would have to be by a vote of Parliament.” Bowie added that if the former prince were indicted and convicted, “the government and Parliament would have an obligation to act accordingly.”
He added: “Frankly, I don’t think we should have a convicted criminal as our successor, but we’re not at that stage yet.”
MPs were keen to stress that the law provides a presumption of innocence and Mr Andrew has not yet been charged or convicted of any wrongdoing, reiterating the Crown’s statement that “that is what the law should be”.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on Friday: “The most important thing now is to ensure that police can carry out their jobs without fear or favour.” “But clearly this is a matter that Parliament will have to consider at the appropriate time, and the monarchy will understandably want to ensure that he never becomes king.”
The precedent the government could follow would be similar to the 1936 law that removed the Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) from the line of succession to the throne after his abdication.
In that example, the Prime Minister or a senior minister in the government would have to propose a bill for debate by MPs. Like other bills, the bill must complete 10 stages of scrutiny in both the House and Senate. Once the bill passes all stages, it will be sent to the monarch for royal assent before being passed to the Commonwealth realms for approval.
Rachel Maskell, Labor MP for York Center, told the BBC earlier this week that Mr Andrew should also be sacked from his position as a councilor of state. “With all these titles and positions to deal with, all we have left is a citizen in Andrew, a fully responsible citizen,” she said.
Currently, members of the royal family who can intervene include Queen Camilla, Princes William and Edward, Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice. Prince Harry and Andrew are also among this family member, but given that they are no longer working royals, it is highly unlikely that they will be instructed to step up.
Removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession would resolve this dilemma, as he would no longer be eligible as an adviser.
In October, a Downing Street spokesperson said there were “no plans to change the law” and that he wanted to use parliamentary time to “improve the lives of working people”.
CNN understands that since Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday, there has been no change in the government’s position to introduce basic legislation to remove her from the line of succession to the throne.
