London —
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on Thursday marks an extraordinary fall from grace for the former prince – and it all hinges on a notoriously difficult-to-prosecute law that experts have criticized for lacking clarity.
Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which is a common law offense in England, meaning it was established through prior court decisions rather than legislation. It dates back hundreds of years and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Later in the day, Andrew was pictured leaving the police station. Thames Valley police said he was “released under investigation.”
Police have not said what led them to arrest the former prince on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but he previously spent a decade as UK trade envoy starting in 2001. He stepped down in 2011 after coming under fire over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Under English law, the offense concerns “serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the pu
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