Prince Andrew Released After Brief Detention Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties; UK Royals Have Long History of Scandals

London. Britain's King Charles II's brother, former British Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was released on Thursday after being held in custody for a few hours following allegations of misconduct in public office due to his association with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, police said.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on the day of his arrest, is the first member of the British Royal Family to be arrested and taken into police custody in over 350 years of history. Previously, King Charles I was arrested by Parliamentary forces and tried for treason in 1647.

His royal title was revoked last year due to his association with Epstein and allegations that both sexually abused Virginia Giuffre when she was a teenager in the 1990s. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, died by suicide in a US jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

In 2021, Giuffre filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor. She claimed that Andrew had sexually assaulted her multiple times when she was 17 years old (a minor under US law). Giuffre died by suicide last April after a settlement was reached in this case.

As a prince, Mountbatten-Windsor served as Britain's trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. He only resigned from that post after the controversy surrounding his relationship with Epstein escalated. Throughout his tenure, he was constantly criticized for his 'Party Prince' image, his conduct during foreign trips, and the cost of expensive travel and hospitality funded by taxpayers.

However, Mountbatten-Windsor is not the first British royal to be embroiled in controversy. In 1936, King Edward VIII caused a major upheaval in the monarchy when he abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Queen Elizabeth II largely kept the monarchy stable during the early decades of her reign, but as her children grew into adulthood, a new wave of marital crises and personal disputes began to engulf the Royal Family.

Here is a detailed account of some of the major scandals that have shaken the Royal Family and its reputation in recent decades:

• 1992: Queen Elizabeth's 'Annus Horribilis' (Horrible Year)

In November 1992, while marking the 40th anniversary of her accession, Queen Elizabeth II described that year as 'Annus Horribilis' in Latin following a series of scandals. This means a horrible year.

The marriages of three of her children failed: the then Prince of Wales (now King) Charles and Princess Diana separated, and similarly, Mountbatten-Windsor and his wife Sarah Ferguson also separated. Princess Anne and Mark Phillips divorced.

In August 1992, Ferguson, separated from Mountbatten-Windsor but still legally married, was photographed vacationing in the South of France with her American financial advisor, John Bryan. The publication of photos showing Bryan kissing her toes caused a huge public uproar.

That same year, a phone conversation between Diana and her friend James Gilbey was leaked and became fodder for tabloid newspapers. It is believed the call was illegally recorded and sold to the media. The intimate and emotional nature of the call gave rise to speculation that Gilbey and Diana were more than just friends. Gilbey called Diana 'Squidgy' on the call, leading the incident to be known as 'Squidgygate'.

• 1993: Camillagate 

The Queen's 'horrible year' did not end there.

Immediately following Squidgygate came 'Camillagate'. In 1993, a recording of an intimate phone conversation between Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles was leaked. The call was from 1989, when Charles and Diana were still married. This revealed the close relationship between Charles and Camilla.

Public outrage over this affair lasted for years, but Charles and Camilla eventually married in 2005 and remain together today. Camilla is now the Queen Consort.

• 1995: Diana's Panorama Interview

Journalist Martin Bashir interviewed Diana for the BBC's Panorama program, which aired on November 20, 1995. During the interview, Diana commented on many controversies, including the relationship between Charles and Camilla. 

Regarding the affair, she famously said: 'There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,' which garnered huge public sympathy. She also spoke openly about her mental health struggles, particularly her battle with bulimia nervosa.

Diana's candid interview exposed life within the Royal Family, and after its broadcast, she was widely seen as the 'People's Princess'.

Following this interview, Queen Elizabeth II advised the couple to divorce quickly, and their marriage was legally dissolved the following year.

More than 20 years after the interview, its circumstances were scrutinized again when Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, alleged that Bashir used fake documents and other dishonest tactics to persuade Diana to give the interview.

The BBC appointed a retired senior judge in 2020 to investigate the matter. The investigation's report stated that Bashir used 'deceitful conduct' and broke BBC rules by showing Spencer fake bank statements to gain access to the Princess.

After the investigation concluded in 2021, Diana's grown sons—Prince William and Harry—strongly criticized the BBC and the British media for the unethical practices.

• 1997: Death of Diana

Two years after the Panorama interview, the 36-year-old princess died in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi photographers.

On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris hoping to photograph Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed. The photographers chased their car into the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, where their driver lost control, and the car crashed. Both Diana and Fayed were killed in the accident.

A wave of public grief followed Diana's death, which was sharply contrasted by the Royal Family's silence, angering many. The Royal Family, including the Queen, was heavily criticized for not appearing publicly immediately and for not flying the flag at half-mast at Buckingham Palace.

• 2002: Princess Anne Convicted in Criminal Case

In November 2002, the Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, admitted to losing control of her dog (an English Bull Terrier) which bit two children in Windsor Great Park. Anne was fined and became the first active royal member in modern times to have a criminal record.

• 2005: Prince Harry's Nazi Costume

In 2005, global outrage erupted after a photo was published showing Prince Harry wearing a Nazi armband at a costume party, forcing him to issue a public apology.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry claimed that his older brother, the current Prince of Wales William, and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Kate Middleton encouraged him to choose the outfit and that they 'laughed heartily' upon seeing him in it.

• 2020: Megxit 

Following years of escalating tension with the media, Prince Harry and his wife, former actress Meghan Markle (Duke and Duchess of Sussex), announced plans to step back from their roles as senior working royals, move partially to North America, seek financial independence, and step away from regular media scrutiny.

The couple cited the negative media coverage directed at Meghan by the British press as a primary reason for her unpopularity in the UK. Rumors of disputes with other members of the Royal Family were also widespread.

In 2021, the couple appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television program, where Harry disclosed the rift with his father and older brother.

Meghan stated that she felt so isolated and unhappy within the Royal Family that she had suicidal thoughts. She also claimed that a member of the Royal Family expressed 'concern' about the skin color of her unborn child. Markle is half Caucasian (white) and half African-American.

After Harry clarified that the family member was not Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Philip, there was widespread speculation about who that person might be.

• 2023: Spare 

Harry's memoir 'Spare' revealed highly private details about the family, which reports suggested left the Royal Family stunned. In the book, he claimed that William physically attacked him, knocking him to the floor during a dispute over Markle in 2019.

In his book, Harry also admitted to killing 25 people during his time serving in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot. He served in Afghanistan as a forward air controller during air raids from 2007 to 2008 and later as an attack helicopter pilot from 2012 to 2013.

Al Jazeera