As you’ve likely heard by now, Prince Andrew was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct while holding public office.
The disgraced royal has now been released from police custody.
But his legal nightmare is only just beginning.
As TMZ reports, Andrew exited the police station and stepped into a chauffeured Range Rover.
Yes, Andrew has been stripped of his land and titles, and there have been rumors that he’s chronically low on cash, but it seems that he can still afford a Range Rover and a driver.
The site has obtained photos of Andrew that show him looking quite worse for wear.
Andrew will presumably return to his home in Norfolk, England, where he was arrested this morning.
In an interesting footnote, the former prince is celebrating his 66th birthday today.
So what’s next for Andrew? Well, legal experts say he may be in for a hell of a fight.
“He has not been charged with or convicted of any crime,” Dr. Tom Frost, Senior Lecturer in Law at Loughborough University, tells People magazine.
Frost adds that Andrew was likely interrogated “under caution” (that is, he was informed of his rights) during his nearly 24-hour detention today.
“In England and Wales, police can generally hold a suspect for 24 hours without charge,” attorney George Kampanella, Partner & Head of Business Crime & Regulatory at Taylor Rose, echoed today.
“That can stretch to 36 hours with senior authorization and up to 96 hours in serious cases if magistrates approve,” Kampanella told People.
“An ‘abuse of the public’s trust’ is a high bar and is not defined. Misconduct alone is not enough,” he added. “The misconduct must be so bad that a jury concludes it is an abuse of the public’s trust.”
“Finally, without lawful excuse or justification means acting culpably or in a blameworthy fashion. Essentially, they acted without a valid legal reason, and their behavior was their fault,” he continued.
“Misconduct in public office is a grave common law offense,” Kampanella said.
“In theory, it carries a maximum of life imprisonment. In practice, life sentences are rare and reserved for the most egregious abuses of public trust.”
Andrew is no stranger to controversy, but if he thinks he’ll be able to lean on his royal connections to bail him out again, he may have another thing coming.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” King Charles said today in a statement regarding his brother’s arrest.
“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,” he continued, adding:
“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.”
Yeah, that doesn’t sound like a king who’s in a rush to come to the rescue of his troublesome little brother.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.