A royal goes to prison... but not that one! Princess Anne visits HMP Leeds as she continues royal engagements hours after brother Andrew was arrested at his Sandringham home
Princess Anne today visited a prison on the same day her brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested.
The Princess Royal, often described as the hardest working royal, carried out a royal engagement at HMP Leeds, in West Yorkshire, in her role as Patron of the Butler Trust.
Two black Range Rovers - one believed to contain Anne - arrived at the Category B men's prison at 2.30pm, escorted by police, just hours after police raided Andrew's new home in Sandringham, Norfolk, and took him into custody.
Princess Anne was forced to cancel her first tow engagement of the day in West Yorkshire as her helicopter was unable to fly because of low cloud.
However she quickly changed her plans and travelled up by train in typical stoic style, picking up on her last two engagements including a visit to HMP Leeds in her role as patron of The Butler Trust.
She did not meet prisoners but spoke to staff and unveiled a plaque. She also continued on to a textile mill in Guiseley.
About a dozen staff members from nearby charities stood by the road hoping to catch a glimpse of Anne as she drove onto the site.
Kelly Manton, from the West Yorkshire Community Chaplaincy Project Resettlement Service, said she was 'sad' to learn of Andrew's arrest.
She told reporters: 'It's sad in a way it's come to this, given the stature and everything of the Royal Family. He's a big figure in the UK and in the Royal Family. It's just a sad situation and I do feel for the Royal family that this is happening to them.'
Pictured: King Charles and Princess Anne with their brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at their mother Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in September 2022
King Charles seen at London Fashion Week today. He has said that the police investigating his brother will have his 'wholehearted support and co-operation'
The King said the royals would continue with royal duties. His wife Queen Camilla was at an event in London today
Rahima Adam, from the same organisation, said: 'It's disappointing news. I don't think anyone wants to hear it, so, it's very sad.'
Anne also has a separate royal engagement at Abraham Moon & Sons, the historic textile mill in Guiseley, West Yorkshire.
But her engagements at the South Tees Occupational Therapy, in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, and the Carers Plus Yorkshire, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, have been cancelled due to travel issues, Buckingham Palace confirmed to the Mail.
Anne has followed King Charles and Queen Camilla in carrying out royal duties as normal despite the unprecedented crisis engulfing the Royal Family today.
Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday this morning following allegations made against the former prince after the release of millions of pages of files related to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
He is the first senior royal in modern history to be arrested. In 2002, Princess Anne became the first Royal Family member to be convicted of a criminal offence when she was fined £500 after one of her dogs bit two children, but she was not arrested.
Anne has not commented on Andrew's arrest, but Charles backed the police investigation into their brother in an unprecedented statement.
The monarch said: 'I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.
'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.'
It is understood neither the King nor Buckingham Palace was informed in advance of the arrest.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are understood to support the King's statement.
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.
The news of the former duke's arrest comes as pictures circulated online appearing to show unmarked police cars attending Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plain-clothed officers appearing to gather outside Andrew's home.
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 has denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.
A convoy of three police officers arrive to help with the search of Andrew's former home, Royal Lodge, Windsor
Police outside Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where Andrew was held
The unprecedented statement from the King after his brother's arrest where he said he supported the police's action and that he and the Royal Family would co-operate fully
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.'
The King's brother is effectively no longer a royal, becoming a commoner after he was stripped by the monarch of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein.
He does, however, remain in the line of succession - he is eighth in line to the throne, having gradually moved down after being born second in line.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) website, misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
A suspect can generally be held in custody for up to 24 hours, but this can be extended to 96 hours if an extension is sought at a magistrates' court.
When the custody time limit has expired, the majority of suspects are either charged or released pending further investigation.
Before the arrest was announced, the Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast 'nobody is above the law' when asked about Andrew.
Sir Keir Starmer added: '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.'
Providing its own update on the investigation into Epstein and his associates in the UK, the CPS said: 'We are in close contact with the Metropolitan Police Service and Thames Valley Police regarding high-profile individuals.
'We remain ready to support any police investigations if needed.'
A number of police forces across the UK are assessing information released as part of the Epstein files document dump.
Officers from Surrey, Bedfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, the West Midlands, Wiltshire and Scotland have all said they are reviewing information.
On Wednesday, the Met said it was also looking at allegations Andrew's protection officers turned a 'blind eye' to his visits to Epstein's island, Little St James.
The National Crime Agency said it was supporting UK forces in their Epstein files probes.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown said he has submitted a 'five-page memorandum' to selected UK police forces which 'provides new and additional information to that which I submitted last week'.
He previously claimed the Epstein files showed in 'graphic detail' how the financier was able to use London Stansted Airport to 'fly in girls from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia'.
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