Kate Middleton has made her first public appearance since the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly backed King Charles’ statement following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.
The Princess of Wales appeared in the stands before the Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixture at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham today (February 21). Kate, who serves as Patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, was spotted smiling whilst sporting an England scarf.
Yet behind the cheerful demeanour, the Royal Family has endured a challenging week. Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on Thursday morning (February 19) following allegations made against him after the publication of documents connected to paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, reports the Daily Star.
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The former duke remained in police custody for 11 hours on his 66th birthday before being released under investigation amid claims he disclosed sensitive information to Epstein whilst serving as the UK’s trade envoy. Andrew has refuted any wrongdoing concerning his connections to the convicted sex offender, though has not addressed the recent allegations directly.
Following his younger brother’s detention, the King stated that “the law must take its course” and the police have “our full and wholehearted support and co-operation”. Sources speaking to the Press Association have indicated that Prince William and Kate have remained silent but are in agreement with the King’s statement on the issue.
Following Andrew’s arrest, King Charles attended the inaugural show of London Fashion Week just a few hours later, where he refrained from commenting when questioned about his reaction to the news. Thames Valley Police, who are spearheading the investigation, are yet to receive any “early investigative advice” from the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the allegation, it has been reported.
Detectives have requested that Andrew’s former close protection officers “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” during their service might be pertinent to the investigation into Epstein and his associates. The search of Andrew’s previous residence, Royal Lodge, located in Windsor, Berkshire, by detectives is anticipated to continue until Monday.
