The shadow of Jeffrey Epstein plan again Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor. The brother of King Charles III could face up to life in prison if the new accusations are successful which are being evaluated by Thames Valley Police, according to ‘Daily Mail’ and ‘Hello’ magazine.
The authorities are analyzing whether the Former prince shared confidential information while serving as UK special envoy for international trade – a position he held between 2001 and 2011 – with the American financier, convicted of sexual crimes. If confirmed, It could be a crime of misconduct in public officewhose maximum penalty in the UK is life imprisonment.
No immunity and under investigation
Unlike his brother, King Charles III – the only member of the royal family with sovereign immunity –Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor may be criminally prosecuted. “There is nothing in the law that prevents him from being accused and imprisoned,” emphasizes the ‘Daily Mail’, which also includes the statements of the biographer Andrew Lownieauthor of ‘Entitled’. The writer assures that there are “well-founded reasons” to investigate him both for alleged misconduct and for his past relationship with Epstein.
Former Prince Andrew, in one of his most compromising photos revealed in the latest declassified files on the Epstein case. / AP / Jon Elswick
From Buckingham Palace, the monarch has expressed his “deep concern” and official sources have indicated that they are “willing to support” the police if required, according to the British tabloid.
What can happen?
The magazine ‘Hello’, for its part, provides the legal analysis. Several experts consulted by the publication agree that being under investigation does not imply automatic guilt. The first step, if the police decide to move forward, would be invite Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor to a voluntary interview. Only in certain circumstances an arrest could occur.
If charges are finally brought, Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor could leave the country and settle in a State without an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom, mentioning the United Arab Emirates as a possible destination
Criminal lawyer Chloe Jay explains in ‘Hello’ that investigations of this type can last for monthseven more than a year. The evidence would then be forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which would determine whether there is a sufficient basis to bring charges and whether doing so is in the public interest.
If it goes to trial, The process could take years. And although the life imprisonment is the maximum penalty for a crime of serious abuse of public trust, experts consider unlikely that such a sentence will be imposed. However, they do consider the possibility of several years in prison if a serious leak is proven of classified documents.
The Crown, in suspense
The case places the British royal house in a particularly awkward moment. Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor, removed from public life and stripped of his official duties After the Epstein scandal, he has always denied any wrongdoing. However, the reopening of the media spotlight threatens to revive an episode that the institution had been trying to close for years.
According to the ‘Daily Mail’, Lownie even suggests that, if charges were finally brought, Andrés Mountbatten-Windsor could leave the country and settle in a State without an extradition treaty with the United Kingdom, mentioning the United Arab Emirates as a possible destination. A hypothesis that, for now, belongs to the realm of speculation.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues. And although experts remember that the presumption of innocence applies to everyone – including a son of Elizabeth II -, the question that hovers over London is inevitable: can a member of British royalty end up behind bars? Legally, the answer is yes. Politically and symbolically, the impact would be historic.
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