latest news: King questioned about brother as arrest over Epstein files sparks unprecedented royal day
Members of the Royal Family kept to scheduled public duties on Thursday morning ET even as news broke of an arrest linked to revelations in the Epstein files. The King offered a brief statement of concern while declining to answer shouted questions as he left a central London engagement. The detained man, the King's brother, has denied any wrongdoing.
Royal engagements continued amid intense scrutiny
The day unfolded with high-profile appearances that were not cancelled despite the developing police action. After opening a major fashion event in central London, the King left the venue without responding to shouted questions about his brother. He had similarly declined to answer questions on arrival. Later, while members of the family attended a lunchtime concert in Westminster, the King issued a statement expressing his "deepest concern" and adding that "the law must take its course. " The Queen attended the performance and described the venue as a "wonderful place, " waving to cameras as she left but offering no public comment on the arrest.
Camilla, seated at the concert in a navy velvet coat, applauded and joined an audience encouraged to clap and stamp along to the music. Her public composure illustrated the careful balancing act being carried out: maintaining planned engagements while managing a fast-moving legal and reputational crisis for the family.
Arrest, custody and the wider police inquiries
The man arrested is in his 60s and was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office on what was reported as his 66th birthday. He has always denied allegations connected to the disgraced financier whose files have prompted renewed scrutiny. He spent roughly nine hours in police custody; when detention extends beyond six hours, detainees are usually moved to a dedicated custody suite where they are provided bedding, options for changes of clothing and regular meals. The arrest also allows police to take a custody photograph, fingerprints and DNA.
Police action has included searches at addresses in multiple counties. Investigators have been reviewing documents and examining allegations that range from trafficking claims to whether sensitive information was shared while public duties were carried out. There are mentions in the released files of visits to private estates and some of the allegations involve events said to have taken place in the 1990s. One commentator described the arrest as unprecedented for a senior royal, noting it was difficult to have imagined a senior family member being interviewed at a police station.
Broader inquiries into private flights and airport use
Alongside the criminal inquiry connected to the arrest, a number of police forces are examining broader issues stemming from the flight logs and travel records in the files. Investigations involve whether private flights were used to transport people to and from the UK and whether any airports or private flight operations were implicated. Forces have been assessing potential links to several airports and private flight operations, looking back at decades of movements that include dozens of private flights tied to the financier.
Public and political concern about how such private aviation networks might have been used has heightened scrutiny of how private jets and fixed-base operators handle passenger movements. Private jets typically avoid main terminals and use dedicated handling facilities; those operations are managed separately from commercial terminals and are subject to their own regulatory arrangements. Police forces reviewing records have sought information from witnesses and anyone with relevant documents or recollections of events referenced in the files.
The combination of a senior royal figure being arrested, multiple police forces opening inquiries and renewed attention to decades-old flight records has created a rare and potentially precedent-setting moment for the institution. For now, public-facing members of the family are carrying on with planned duties while the legal process unfolds and investigators continue to examine the material that prompted the action.
