A routine engagement at British Fashion Week turned, by accident, into one of the most crucial events in the reign of Charles III.
The King had reserved his seat at the side of the catwalk weeks ago but a quirk of fate turned this otherwise ordinary day of engagements into a moment of royal history.
Charles III arrived to a barrage of questions from reporters wanting a reaction to the arrest, just hours earlier, of his younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
King Charles said nothing – he never responds to ”doorstepping” although on this occasion, the unusual circumstances meant that a decision to break from the norm might not have been that unusual in itself.
However, as he entered the halls of fashion, The King looked back, briefly, and for one moment appeared caught in time. In a way, he was.
For there is no doubt that this is a huge event and one that will have a major impact on the Royal Family.
Not since the days of the first king called Charles has such a senior royal been arrested. And that, of course, was an entirely different situation. Past royal detentions were in the context of absolute power tussles. Today, a former prince was arrested under the laws of the land.
The former prince, Andrew, has taken the royal family to a place it had never been before and certainly never wanted to visit at all.
From the moment officers arrived at Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s home at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, the royal story changed. The eighth in line to the throne was soon in the back of a car on his way to an undisclosed police station where officers were investigating allegations of misconduct in public office. And the Royal Family had entered a new world where the child of a Monarch was now in detention.
The seriousness of the occasion was lost on no one. The allegation of misconduct in a public office is a serious one albeit something that needs painstaking investigation and proving in court. Officers also searched royal homes in Berkshire and Norfolk as the investigation unfolded. The full force of justice now hovered over the second son of Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite not addressing reporters, The King had issued a statement as soon as the arrest was confirmed, noting that the ”law must take its course”.
It was a swift and correct response. However, this has struck at the very heart of the royal family. It has led to questions about whether computer systems at Buckingham Palace might end up as part of a police investigation as officers look into allegations into misconduct in public office. But this is more than a possibility that royal property might become part of a formal inquiry. A former prince under arrest is a serous matter and has garnered huge interest around the world.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is the son of a monarch, the brother of a monarch and remains in line to the throne, a potential regent and a Counsellor of State. Yes, he has lost his royal titles and honours and has had no public role for several years. But every one of his 66 years has been spent at the centre of the royal system.
On February 19 1960, Andrew was born at Buckingham Palace, the first child born to a reigning Monarch in over a century. From the moment of his birth he was second in line to the throne and remained the ”spare” for over two decades, until the birth of his nephew, Prince William. He had a high profile royal role, carrying out engagements at home and abroad and went on to be a trade envoy for the UK as well as developing his Pitch at the Palace scheme. However, it was his role as the so called ”favourite” child of Queen Elizabeth II that cemented his place at the centre of her royal family. As recently as 2019, he took a major role at Trooping the Colour and a starring part on the balcony afterwards.
Sixty six years on, he spent his birthday in police custody after Thames Valley Police arrested him at his temporary home at the Sandringham estate. He can be held for 24 hours, meaning he could sleep in a police cell overnight. That, in itself, sums up the magnitude of this event. It is proof that all are equal before the law but its significance is huge.
