President Donald Trump on Thursday called the arrest of former Prince Andrew a "very sad" thing, saying the situation is “so bad for the royal family” as renewed scrutiny surrounding Jeffrey Epstein continues.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he believes the developments are unfortunate for King Charles III and the monarchy.
“I think it’s a shame. I think it’s very sad,” Trump said. “I think it's so bad for the royal family."
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal titles amid fallout from his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was taken into custody earlier Thursday in eastern England on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released after approximately 11 hours.
King Charles III said following the arrest that authorities should be allowed to carry out their investigation.
Thames Valley Police said they are examining claims that Mountbatten-Windsor provided Epstein with sensitive trade material in 2010, when he was serving as Britain’s special envoy for international trade.
The allegations stem from correspondence between the two men that appeared in millions of pages of U.S. Justice Department records released last month as part of the Epstein investigation.
Andrew has previously denied any misconduct tied to his relationship with Epstein.
