Virginia Giuffre’s family hail Andrew’s arrest and say ‘he was never a prince’

The family of Virginia Giuffre today hailed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest a ‘monumental moment’ in her ‘pursuit for justice’. 

The former prince, who turns 66 today, is being held in custody after an early raid on his new Sandringham home this morning.

Thames Valley Police detained the eighth in line to the British throne on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

His arrest does not relate to Ms Giuffre, a prominent accuser of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who alleged Andrew had sex with her three times as a teenager. 

After Andrew’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Ms Giuffre’s siblings told CBS News: ‘At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.

‘On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation, and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.’ 

Ms Giuffre, who took her own life last year, alleged Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Andrew when she was 17, first introducing her to him in London in 2001. She claimed that after going to a nightclub, she was made to have sex with Andrew at Maxwell’s Belgravia home.

On the second occasion, it is alleged that Andrew sexually abused Ms Giuffre in Epstein’s New York mansion. And she alleged Andrew abused her a third time on Epstein’s island, Little St James, in the US Virgin Islands. 

Andrew has always denied the claims and reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022, but it contained no admission of liability or apology.

The Giuffre’s family lawyer said today: ‘This is truly a monumental moment in the Epstein survivor’s relentless pursuit of justice. 

‘Virginia Giuffre worked for years to shine a light on the crimes being committed by Epstein and his co-conspirators and to send the message that no one should be above the law and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor today is a step toward that accountability.’ 

It comes as King Charles gave police his ‘wholehearted support and co-operation’ after his brother was arrested.

‘I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,’ the monarch said.

‘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.

‘Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.

‘As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all’.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are understood to support the King’s statement. 

The Daily Mail was the first to reveal plain-clothes police, carried in six unmarked vehicles, had arrived at Wood Farm, where Andrew now lives, at 8am this morning. 

A convoy including at least two royal Land Rovers linked to Andrew was photographed leaving the estate less than an hour later. His arrest was confirmed at 10.08am.

For the past ten days detectives have been probing his conduct as a trade envoy for the UK after emails in the Epstein Files suggested he shared confidential information with his paedophile friend including reports of his official visits and potential investment opportunities.

A Thames Valley spokesman said today: ‘We have today arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office’.

The force said its officers are searching an address in Norfolk – believed to be Wood Farm where Andrew is exiled – and an address in Berkshire, likely to be Royal Lodge in Windsor, where he lived for more than 20 years until this month.

‘The man remains in police custody at this time’, the spokesman said – but the force would not confirm where Andrew, who is celebrating his birthday today, had been taken. 

Norfolk Police said it is ‘supporting’ the Thames Valley investigation but did not say if one of its stations was being used by detectives to interview Andrew.

Thames Valley Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: ‘Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.

‘It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.

‘We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.’

As Andrew was arrested on the day he turned 66:

• The former Duke of York is in custody at an unknown location after being held on suspicion of misconduct in public office;
• Police arrived at Wood Farm in Sandringham at 8am on Thursday to begin searches of Andrew’s new home. Officers from Thames Valley are also searching a property in Windsor, believed to be Royal Lodge; 
• King Charles, who said he would support a police inquiry into his brother, is due to appear at London Fashion Week this afternoon;

Andrew’s arrest was revealed today around an hour after police were seen at Sandringham. 

Six unmarked police cars arrived at King Charles’ Norfolk estate at just after 8am this morning.

Onlookers said the group of eight people were in plain clothes ‘but appeared to be police officers’. One man appeared to be carrying a police-issue laptop.

They parked close to Prince Philip’s former home Wood Farm, where Andrew has been exiled. A convoy of vehicles was then photographed leaving. 

Thames Valley Police previously said the force was reviewing allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew, and claims he shared sensitive information with the paedophile while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, the force said.

Emails released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show the former duke sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

One email, dated November 2010, appeared to be forwarded by Andrew five minutes after being sent by his then-special adviser Amir Patel.

Another, on Christmas Eve 2010, appeared to send Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Andrew, who turns 66 today, had been staying at Sandringham after being evicted by his older brother from Royal Lodge in Windsor following the Epstein.

Police popped up at Sandringham as Sir Keir Starmer claimed ‘nobody is above the law’ in the UK and nine UK police forces assess whether to launch investigations into Epstein-related allegations including human trafficking and sexual assault. 

Andrew is yet to be spoken to by detectives, who are assessing a range of allegations related to sex trafficking and misconduct in public office and sex trafficking. But his brother King Charles said he stands ready to help the police with their inquiries.

The Queen’s second son may have passed sensitive information to Epstein in his role as a UK trade envoy. There are also claims he may have smuggled a woman into Buckingham Palace who may have been trafficked into Britain on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ jet.

Andrew denies any wrongdoing. 

Shortly after 8am this morning a number of vehicles arrived together at the farm house he was forced to move to.

No official comment has yet been made.

A number of police forces are understood to be looking into allegations around trafficking that have surfaced in the huge number or documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein in the UK.

The Metropolitan Police said yesterday it is carrying out ‘initial inquiries’ into allegations relating to close protection officers formerly assigned to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

In a statement, the Met said it had ‘not identified any wrongdoing’ but ‘initial enquiries into these specific allegations have begun’.

The disgraced former Prince has been exiled to a remote cottage, Wood Farm, on the edges of the Sandringham estate.

The disgraced former prince is thought to have moved into the five-bedroom cottage earlier this month.

Wood Farm, the property where his father, the Duke of Edinburgh spent much of his final years, is hidden from public view around 300 yards down a private driveway in Wolferton on the edge of the Norfolk estate.

He has been accompanied by two police officers assigned to protect Andrew.

The King’s younger brother was pictured in the Epstein files kneeling over a young woman.

He is also facing questions over emails suggesting he shared private information from his role as a UK trade envoy with the billionaire financier.

The royal is also being urged to give evidence to the US congressional investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast today, Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘Anybody who has any information should testify. 

‘So whether it’s Andrew or anybody else, anybody who has got relevant information should come forward to whatever the relevant body is, in this particular case we’re talking about Epstein, but there are plenty of other cases.

‘Anybody who has got information relating to any aspect of violence against women and girls has, in my view, a duty to come forward, whoever they are.’

Sir Keir added: ‘One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law, and nobody is above the law, and it is really important that is applied across the board.’

The PM also said he would not stand in the way of MPs wanting to have a public Parliamentary debate into the royal and his links with Epstein.

The Metropolitan Police has begun carrying out ‘initial inquiries’ into allegations relating to close protection officers assigned to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

It comes after a former officer claimed that ‘certain members’ of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) command may have witnessed abuse at Little St James. 

Scotland Yard is examining claims that royal protection officers ‘turned a blind eye’ during visits to Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean. 

The disgraced royal’s chief accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including on Little St James in the early 2000s, claims Andrew has always denied.

Multiple survivors have also alleged they were trafficked to and abused on the island which Epstein purchased in the US Virgin Islands in 1998.

Surrey Police has also urged people with any information about claims of human trafficking and sexual assault relating to the Epstein files to come forward.

The force said the allegations, set out in a redacted report released by the US Department of Justice in December, allegedly took place in Virginia Water between 1994 and 1996.

Its call for witnesses followed an FBI report from July 2020 which appeared in the files, in which somebody alleged they were drugged at night and driven to ‘paedophile ring parties’ in the mid 1990s.

The same person also claims to have been hit by a dark blue car ‘driven by Prince Andrew’ in which they allegedly suffered injuries to their ribs, hip and leg.

Essex Police, Thames Valley Police, Bedfordshire Police, Norfolk Constabulary, Wiltshire Police, West Midlands Police and Police Scotland are also considering launching investigations.

Most of the forces are looking into Epstein’s use of various UK airports, which were referenced in flight logs in the files.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has said it is supporting UK police forces to ‘enable a full and independent assessment of the information released’.

The former Prince Andrew, who was stripped off his titles over his links to Epstein last year, has vehemently denied wrongdoing.