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History Uncensored
"DARK Day For The Monarchy" Andrew Arrested | Emergency Episode With Tom Bower
00:29:33
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- [00:07]
A
Welcome to this emergency episode of history Uncensored. Reacting to the historic arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The first time a member of the British royal family has been arrested by law enforcement in modern history. Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne and there is no real precedent. Princess Anne was convicted of a criminal offence and fined in 2002 under the Dangerous Dogs act after her bull terrier bit. Two children, Prince Philip and Zara Tindall, have had minor infractions for driving. Historically, of course, King Charles I was held before he was tried and executed. Mary Queen of scots, imprisoned for 19 years by her cousin Queen Elizabeth. And in the 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen consort Henry II was confined for supporting her sons in their rebellion against their father. But no arrests of a senior royal since Britain became a constitutional monarchy in the late 17th century. Today, Thames Valley police reveal that Andrew was arrested. After a thorough assessment, the King has issued a statement following the arrest of his brother. I quote, I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and the suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which the 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 cooperation. Let me state clearly, the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all. Charles r. Andrew turns 66 today. He has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. I'm joined now by royal author and journalist Tom Bower to discuss. What was your reaction to the news this morning of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's arrest?
- [02:14]
B
Well, I was pretty shocked because it's pretty unprecedented. The last king, last royal person to be arrested was Charles I and he was then executed. So it was pretty shocking and pretty unprecedented and begins a new chapter in a crisis for the royal family. I think for the royal family, it's catastrophic. Very hard to see how they recover in the short term from this.
- [02:41]
A
You mentioned precedents and we'll definitely get into that. In terms of royal shocks throughout time, where does this rank to you? Where is it on the Richter scale?
- [02:52]
B
Well, we've had a lot of scandals in the royal family, from Diana and Charles and Camilla and all the others and Harry and God knows what. And also the running episode of Andrew and his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. But we actually arrested, not yet charged, arrested for a criminal offense is really quite shocking and it really is takes it into uncharted territory for the status of the Royal family in Britain today.
- [03:25]
A
Tom, remind our viewers. So Andrew is no longer a working royal. He's had his titles stripped off him. Constitutionally. What is he and what does he continue to mean to the British state?
- [03:37]
B
Well, he is eighth in line of the succession. Not that means that he'll be king, that's most impossible to imagine. But nevertheless, he's an important part of the Royal family. He is still the Duke of York, although he doesn't use that title. And even though he was stripped of the title Prince, it was done in a way which previously was considered to be impossible just by letters patent. So he's still a very important part of the Royal family and in name, if not in practice. But this is really what makes this so extraordinary is that this has been a running saga since his interview with the BBC. Was it now? Five, six years ago. And it was the King's fault when he came to the reign. I mean the Queen was something else. But King Charles, who very quickly removed Andrew's status because this was a crisis waiting to happen. And I do believe that the Royal family had inclinations and had been given whispers in Washington about what was inside the Epstein files. So they knew there was something terrible going to happen eventually, but they just procrastinated and delayed. And the trouble with Charles is that he hates confrontation so he let it rumble on. And it was only because of Prince William's anger that he was then forced to take the action he did by stripping Andrew of his titles and eventually forcing him to leave Royal Lodge.
- [05:20]
A
You mention King Charles character. What can you tell me about Andrew as a man and how you think these events would be metabolized by him?
- [05:32]
B
Well, Andrew has many, many weaknesses. I don't know what his strengths are. They've never really been established. He is clearly not very intelligent, he's not well educated, he has a terrible arrogance, he has a terrible sense of entitlement. He is careless in his behavior and has been forever. He has a very short temper. There's very little to endear one to him. And the descent of Andrew in public estimation has been progressive. One can't say it's been rapid in recent weeks and months, but there's really been not much love lost for him, not least because of his ex wife Sarah, who behaved appallingly. And so it's very hard to see what he actually ever brought on the part of the Royal family to the British nation. That's the problem. He had contributed absolutely nothing other than heaped ridicule and caused gossip which was not to anyone's benefit.
- [06:44]
A
Today, the charge that he's been arrested on suspicion of is misconduct in public office. Specifically. What can you tell me about that charge and what it pertains to?
- [06:54]
B
Well, clearly it's to do with his passing when he was a trade envoy of confidential documents to Jeffrey Epstein from a trip to Vietnam and China and the Far east, which had to do with various investments, not least in Aston Martin, the car company. The problem for the prosecution will be to prove that Andrew knew or was motivated to commit a crime of misconduct in public office. I don't think it'll be that easy because he'll have lots of defenses. Not least that Jeffrey Epstein was an investor and perhaps he could benefit from Britain by using his money for investing in what Britain was interested in doing. But nevertheless, the crime is inverted commerce. The crime is having done it in the first place. His misconduct is really having a relationship with Epstein and having lied about it on public television. But the problem really is for the Royal family and for Britain, that even though the misconduct might be proved or might not be proved, it looks terrible that in return for these government documents, he might have got girls in return that he was giving these documents to Epstein in gratitude for introductions to all these women he met. And it just is so beyond belief that a member of the Royal family should behave like that so brazenly, that one just thinks, my goodness, there can only be worse things to come.
- [08:46]
A
Let's speak about damage control, then. You've already mentioned how Andrew's eighth in line to the throne. Still, do you think the King would contemplate removing him from the line of succession? And how is that done?
- [08:59]
B
Well, it could only be done by an act of Parliament. You see, the real problem with all of this is, and this will not be mentioned by many people today, I mean, I've written a very long book about Prince Charles as he then was. Prince Charles had massive good qualities, but he also had a terrible weakness for money. He, through his A's, in particular, a particular valet would, to raise money for his charities, would allow people to pay up to half a million pounds to sit next to him at dinners in Highgrove or in Buckingham palace or up at his house in Scotland, Dumfries House. And of course, Andrew knew that. Andrew knew that Charles had his own financial questionable activities. And so he would just have always said, well, if you can do It, I can do it. And that's the great problem with the Royal family, that their relationships are all conditional upon how they behave themselves. And Andrew, who clearly misbehaved appallingly, will have undoubtedly said to Charles, well, you committed adultery while you were married to Diana. You did this, you did that. Why shouldn't I as well behave in any way I did behave? And that puts, of course, the King in a very, very vulnerable position. And that's where I'm really terrified that there's so much more to come out about the dynamics of the relationship between the members of the Royal family.
- [10:41]
A
Now, the extent of that vulnerability will obviously depend on the current health of the monarchy and the way in which it's regarded. What is the popularity of the monarchy in the UK and the Commonwealth in 2026?
- [10:53]
B
Well, that, of course, is another major problem for the royal family. About 20 years ago, about 75% of the British population in opinion polls, were convinced and utter monarchists supported the monarchy. Over the last 20 years, the popularity of the monarchy had very sharply declined, especially amongst the young and definitely amongst the large immigrant population in Britain now. So that the monarchy is supported by probably no more than 52 or 53%. So that's a 20% down on what it was about 10, 15, 20 years ago. And I would have thought this crisis now will push it into negative territory, so to speak, below the majority. And the monarchy can only survive with the consent of the British people. Now, I don't think that we're about to see great demands for a republic in Britain, but the fact that the monarchy will not be the majority's choice will be a very, very difficult position to overcome for those who support the monarchy, without question.
- [12:08]
A
Relatedly, when we look at Britain's position on the international stage, the soft power of the monarchy, its value and diplomacy of attracting tourism. People who followed this closely know that Andrew's not a working rule. They know that the titles have been stripped off him. But what is the prolonged impact of this story now, this arrest, on Britain's perception internationally?
- [12:31]
B
Well, the monarchy survives because it has a mystique, because we don't know that much about what goes on behind the walls of Buckingham palace or wherever. There's always a moment when a royal arrives, either at a hospital or a school or at a fete or a concert. There is a sort of frisson, a sort of a mood of magic, that this very rare person is close and is a real living human being. And the smiles and the greetings that the working royals get as they walk around the country, meet the common man, so to speak, is considerable. And is the reason why they're so popular. Because people would much prefer to see the King or Queen Camilla or Princess Anne, or especially Kate, open a hospital Than a politician, a grubby politician. But the moment you begin to see that the royal family is not pure. And actually is damaging Britain, that'll be the charge. If he is charged against Andrew, that he's actually damaged British interests by working with Epstein, Then we're into uncharted territory. I don't think anyone can predict where we're going to go from that moment on. But it won't be pretty, that's for sure.
- [13:59]
A
This point about mystique is so important. When you consider that medieval kings and queens, kings in particular, were thought of as divinely appointed. And, of course, you had the absolutist monarchs of the centuries that came after. And then, still in the 20th century, this distance, this mystique. And in a liberal democracy, yes, people want access to the royals. They want to know that they're normal. They want to make sure that they're all equal under the law. But can an institution really sustain itself when that goes well?
- [14:29]
B
The monarchy is an exceptional institution. It's unique in the world. I don't think it'll be brought down by Andrew, by whatever happens to Andrew. But it will certainly be severely damaged. And the question will then be, how can it recover? Can it recover under Charles? Or would it have to pass quickly to William and Kate? The problem as well that the monarchy faces, of course, is that the king has got cancer. It may be somewhat in remission at the moment, but undoubtedly it was. It is a very serious illness. But then the problem is that Kate, Princess of Wales, Is also in remission from cancer. So the royal family is weakened on both sides, not least as well. The earth has a constant threat from Harry and Meghan. We have forgotten those the last few weeks. But the royals in Montecito have a very damaging agenda for the British royal family. So it is besieged from all sides. And where I find the real. One of the real problems at the moment Is that King Charles is not surrounded by terrifically able advisors. You see, that's always important in a magisterial court. Has always been throughout history. The king has his advisors or her advisors. And relies on them and disagrees with them or accepts their advice. But when he or she, the monarch acts is because they have received excellent advice and have made a decision. Now, the problem with our present situation is this, that we Have a Prime Minister who is not only republican and lackluster, but is fighting for survival. We have just today appointed a new Cabinet secretary who has absolutely no experience of royals whatsoever. The King's private secretary has a record of being a little bit too obsequious to the King, to say the least. So where is he getting advice on what to do or what to say? And that is a huge problem that the Royal family, which used to have the benefit of what were called the great and the good, a huge establishment of people who really maneuvered and looked after the monarchy during the abdication, the death of kings, the death of Diana or whatever, there's no one there who I could say that person is wise, that person's advice will be valuable. And that is a huge deficit for the Royal family as it faces this crisis.
- [17:23]
A
At the moment you just sketched out the familial relationships. I'd like to get more insight into that from you in terms of the dynamics of decision making in a situation like, is it being led from the King? Is it Prince William? What about the involvement of Andrew's daughters? How do you see this unfolding behind the scenes?
- [17:46]
B
Well, I think that the King has been reluctant to act against his brother and undoubtedly was persuaded, stroke, forced into action in stripping Andrew of his titles by William, who was just outraged by the prospect of more embarrassment. Whether William now has the wisdom, let alone his own advisors, to see their way through this, I doubt, in any case, the initiative can't come from the Royal family anymore. It's all down now to the police and the process. As for Beatrice and Eugene and Sarah, their mother, I mean, the only best thing they can do is disappear for a long, long time, because they are equally under suspicion now, although clearly not in a criminal sense, so far as we know. But it's so mucky, so murky. All they can do, carry on the King and Prince William and the Queen and do the best they can. But even if one person heckles, the King is one too many, and it's something which, knowing his temperament, he'll just feel, why do I have to put up with this? Especially as he's suffering feelings of mortality. So this is being that today is a really dark day for the British monarchy and for Britain, as the King
- [19:27]
A
said in his statement, and you just said, it is up to the police. Now, we know that the Sovereign has immunity from criminal proceedings, but Andrew obviously doesn't. Will he be afforded any kind of protection or will he be treated precisely like a regular citizen throughout this process? Of arrest and whatever comes next.
- [19:48]
B
Well, clearly he has now been treated as an ordinary citizen, except that undoubtedly he'll have, if he's clever, outstanding legal advice and presumably he's been taking that advice before. Now the problem with Andrew is, as we've seen, that he seems to be averse to taking good advice, which is why he gave that suicidal interview to BBC a few years ago, which started this whole thing going, which exposed him as a liar. And that's the problem for him. He is so stupid that he does he listen. And one just doesn't know what he's going to do or say inside the police station today, whether he'll answer properly or whether he will dig his own grave even further. I fear there are more things to come out and that's why I'm not sure how this is going to play out over the next months.
- [20:46]
A
When you say you fear there are more things to come out. You've been writing about the royals for a very long time. Is that coming from your instinct or is that from sources directly?
- [20:58]
B
No, well, my instinct over many years is that there's still material in Washington which hasn't been released and there's probably material on Andrew's computers which will surprise us. You know, there'll be conversations which you'll have had with the King and others which will not be to his advantage. So when these things happen, it just is that the pullover, so to speak, or the wool starts to unravel and the moment you pull it begins to fall apart. And that's what I think we're seeing here. An edifice which was a year ago, phenomenally strong and secure, especially after the coronation, now looks vulnerable. But one just doesn't know what is the next blow to happen.
- [21:54]
A
Historically speaking, when the monarchy has been confronted with crises or has created a crisis itself, it survives by adapting. Like what happened after the abdication crisis or even after the death of Princess Diana and how Elizabeth II changed her strategy over time. What do you think King Charles needs to do in order to adapt? And do you think he will?
- [22:18]
B
Well, I just fear he's left it too late and all he can do is carry on with his so called royal duties. But the problem is, as we saw with William when he was in Saudi Arabia last week, whatever they do is always overshadowed by the Andrew saga and they'll soon be a Harry and Meghan saga to trump the Andrew saga. So, you know, it is too late for them to do anything. They've lost the initiative that that passed them by some weeks ago when the Epstein files were released and Andrew was still in Royal Lodge. So I fear that they are now the victim of circumstances.
- [23:01]
A
If we zoom out and take a very long historical view of crises that the monarchy's faced, from the princes in the Tower to the execution of King Charles I, how does this rank in terms of how shocking it is for the time it occurred in.
- [23:23]
B
Well, of course, the execution of Charles I was the end of a regime in the beginning of the Cromwellian dictatorship. So I don't think we're into that. Modern monarchies do survive crises, as we've seen with Diana or the abdication or Megxit, when Harry and Meghan went to California. The question really is the strength of the monarch and more importantly, the strength of the British people supporting the monarchy. Now, I still think that the majority of Britons would infinitely prefer a monarchy to a republic. But everything will depend now on how Charles and William conduct themselves. Whether they can win public sympathy for their own plight because people want to support them because they want a monarchy, or whether there's indifference, whether they just become fed up with it all. And then we're into uncharted territory. And that is something no one can predict at the moment. The problem really is that we don't have a Prime Minister who's going to champion the monarchy. We have a vulnerable man who is really not only republican, but I don't know what he believes in. And whereas in the past it would have been Margaret Thatcher or one of the other great titans of British politics, there would be no doubt that the Prime Minister would stood up and say, we support the monarch and we're grateful for his service. One can't imagine Starmer doing that. And if he would, he'd u turn two days later. That is the problem. The political establishment would need to support the monarchy. And there's evidence at the moment that the Labour Party's willing to do that.
- [25:19]
A
And do you believe that if there was a Prime Minister that would do that and an establishment that would, that would be persuasive to the wider public?
- [25:27]
B
Yes, because I do think that the public needs leadership. The public needs to know what is right and what is wrong, and that's what politicians are there to do. And at the moment, there's complete silence other than the Prime Minister saying, the law must take its course. But it doesn't seem to take its course when it applies to the Labour Party or the Labour government. I mean, it's all over the place when it comes to Mr. Starmer. And that's the problem. The Prime Minister lacks credibility, he lacks authority. He certainly lacks sympathy for the royal family. And that leaves King Charles and his family somewhat isolated. And that again adds to the problems.
- [26:12]
A
Final question to you, Tom. Ten years from now, do you think the monarchy will look different because of the arrests that happened today?
- [26:21]
B
I don't even know 10 weeks what's going to happen. I mean, you know, as I say, it's. I do think that in 10 years time, clearly it'll be King William. And I think that'll give the monarchy a new lease of life because William and Kate are very popular and he'll identify with the young people and all the rest of it. It won't be geriatrics in Buckingham palace, but where it'll actually be depends entirely on their own conduct, whether William and his choice for change of the monarchy actually appeals to people. So I'm sure we'll have a monarchy in 10 years, but so much depends on how William and Kate fashion it, whether it'll retain its popularity that I think is impossible to predict.
- [27:15]
A
Thanks to Tom Bower for helping us make sense of this in the immediate aftermath. And whether you're a monarchist or a republican, this moment is a significant one in the history of the British Crown. It's where you can actually feel history reverberating, because institutions that we've inherited from the past are now being tested in real time. Right now, do remember to like and subscribe to the channel, and you can also find us on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Thank you for watching History Uncensored. I'll see you next time.