British public cheer former prince Andrew’s arrest with smiles and relief

LONDON – Britain’s mostly pro-royal public delighted in

the arrest on Feb 19

of the former prince Andrew, whose friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has turned him into an outcast.

Some said the younger brother of King Charles III deserved to be detained, and others that it sent the right message that the royal family is not above the law.

Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, was detained on suspicion of misconduct while acting as a UK trade envoy.

Police also searched two of his properties, following revelations in newly released US documents that potentially confidential reports were shared with Epstein.

Following years of accounts and accusations over Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities with Epstein, the schadenfreude on the British streets was highlighted by lawyer Emma Carter.

The 55-year-old from Essex, east of London, smiled as she said that the former prince “deserves” to be arrested. “He’s been hiding behind his privileges and the popularity of the queen for too many years.”

“He should have been arrested a long time ago, quite frankly. He just abused his position completely,” she told AFP.

Ms Maggie Yeo, 59, also welcomed the news with a smile.

“I thought they (the royal family) were untouchable. It is good to know they are not beyond justice,” she told AFP. “At least British justice is working.”

Ms Yeo said she felt sorry for King Charles, who has insisted that police must be allowed to carry out their investigation. “He is suffering from cancer. He probably wasn’t fully aware of his brother’s background.”

Ms Jennifer Tiso, a 39-year-old data analyst, also welcomed the message sent by the arrest.

“It’s good that he’s paying for what he’s done. And I don’t think that just because you are related to the royal family, you should be above the law or have a different treatment from regular people,” she said.

“I think it’s time. It’s happened before with rockstars, superstars, and now it’s getting to places of higher power, like the royal family.”

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing, even though he agreed to pay a multimillion-pound sum to settle a claim by Ms Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of abusing her, without admitting any liability.

‘Right thing for the victims’

Many British people seemed to think that the royal family was untouchable.

A YouGov institute opinion poll released on Feb 16 indicated that 62 per cent of Britons believed it unlikely that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would be charged.

His notoriety following the years of reports of his partying with Epstein, who took his own life in prison in 2019, was borne out in public reactions.

Kevin, a 66-year-old pensioner from the southern city of Salisbury, who gave only his first name, said Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was “not clever” and “arrogant”.

“I am not against the royal family, but he doesn’t give the right example. He was the queen’s favourite. She liked to protect him.”

The arrest was important, he said, as the case “involves business, contracts, money, relations with foreign states”.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest at his new home on the King’s Sandringham estate remains restricted to his role as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, when he was forced to stand down over his Epstein links.

Accusations that Epstein may have arranged sexual encounters for the former prince and others in Britain are still being evaluated by British police.

Ms Carter, the lawyer, said the arrest was “the right thing for the victims” of Epstein’s sexual abuse. AFP