Royal family RECAP: King Charles reportedly set for US state visit 'very soon'

HELLO! understands that the royal family were not given advance warning of Andrew's arrest. 

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Following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, we've taken a look back at all the times members of royal families across the globe have faced criminal charges. 

From Princess Anne to Marius Borg Høiby, read the story here. 

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You might have seen the Princess Royal on TV over the weekend as she attended the Guinness Six Nations 2026 showdown between Italy and Scotland. But did you spot this awkward moment between Princess Anne and Scottish rugby captain Sione Tuipulotu?

After the royal presented the rugby player with the Calcutta Cup following their match, Sione appeared to go in for a hug with the senior royal, who very politely and affectionately tapped him on the shoulder.

Fans took to social media to praise Anne's professionalism, with one person quipping: "I thought he was going to kiss her!" 

Another added: "Princess Anne was just as excited as he was! She handled that perfectly!!"

Read our story. 

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Searches are being carried out at Royal Lodge, Andrew's former home, according to the BBC.  

Earlier, Thames Valley Police said searches were being carried out at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire.

The BBC also understands Royal Lodge is the only address being searched at the moment in Berkshire.

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Despite her brother-in-law's arrest, Queen Camilla has arrived for an engagement in Westminster, central London.

The wife of King Charles is attending a lunchtime orchestral concert at Sinfonia Smith Square Hall.

Sinfonia Smith Square is an arts organisation and orchestra formed out of the merger of Southbank Sinfonia and St John's Smith Square.

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HELLO! understands that the Prince and Princess of Wales support the King’s statement following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

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In a statement on Thursday, her siblings and their partners – Sky and Amanda Roberts and Danny and Lanette Wilson – said: “At last. Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.

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"On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince.

"For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you."

Plainclothed police officers were pictured arriving at the Sandringham Estate at 8 am this morning.

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The family of Virginia Giuffre have said their "broken hearts have been lifted" following the news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

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The former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and taken into police custody, Thames Valley Police announced on Thursday.

The late Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, accused Andrew of sexual abuse, which he vehemently denies.

According to the BBC, Queen Camilla was asked: "Are you concerned about Andrew's arrest, your Majesty?" in front of cameras. She was seen waving but did not respond to the question, the publication reported.

The King has been photographed for the first time since his younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested.

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King Frederik of Denmark is among the European royals brought up in the Epstein files. Documents published by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January revealed correspondence mentioning the Danish royal, who was crown prince at the time.

In one email from March 2012, Ian Osborne wrote to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that he was in Denmark and would be seeing "the Crown Prince" in the morning. In a separate email forwarded to Epstein in July 2012, Frederik, referred to as "HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark," was listed among 22 guests, including his private secretary Morten Roland Hansen, who were confirmed for a dinner in a private room.

It's unclear whether Frederik, the older son of Denmark's former Queen Margrethe II, ended up attending the dinner and if Epstein was in attendance as well, though the Danish Royal House has confirmed to HELLO! that the king never met Epstein.

According to PA, the King was met with questions about his brother while arriving at an engagement in the Strand area of central London, hours after issuing a statement expressing his “deepest concern” over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

© According to PA, King Charles was met with groans as he arrived at London Fashion Week

Several people let out a cries of “ohh” as the King’s car pulled up.Wearing a dark suit, Charles stepped out of the car to a mixture of shouts from members of the public crowding the streets.As the monarch entered the building, questions about Andrew’s arrest were shouted. He did not respond.

Ahead of his brother's arrest, and his appearance at London Fashion Week, the King was carrying out business as usual. Her Excellency Mrs. Emma Aparici Vazquez de Parga was received by the King, and presented the Letters of Recall of her predecessor and her own Letters of Credence as Ambassador from the Kingdom of Spain to the Court of St. James's. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Jorge Manuel García Martínez was also received by His Majesty. His Excellency Mr. Francisco Lima Mena was received in audience by The King and presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence as Ambassador from the Republic of El Salvador to the Court of St. James's.

His Excellency Mr. Maurice Makoloo was received in audience by The King and presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Commission as High Commissioner for the Republic of Kenya in London. Mrs. Christine Asoma was also received by His Majesty.

Continuing business as usual, King Charles made his debut at London Fashion Week as planned, and seemingly seemed in high spirits despite his brother's arrest.

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King Charles was asked about his brother's arrest while out in London today. See the video below.

According to the BBC, the King has departed Buckingham Palace in a large convoy led by police.

Crowds cheered and waved as the convoy went past, with the King visible in one of the cars.

The Queen carried out her duties as planned on Thursday in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, watching a lunchtime concert in Westminster.

While the Queen enjoyed orchestral performances and met musicians at Sinfonia Smith Square Hall, the King issued a statement promising his family will continue to carry out their "duty and service" to the public.

Just hours before Camilla’s arrival at the central London concert hall, police confirmed the former prince had been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The Queen, who attended the performance as patron of Sinfonia Smith Square, an organisation which aims to improve the accessibility of music, was met with applause as she took her seat to watch the concert.

The King was front and centre at London Fashion Week today, just two hours after making an unprecedented statement following the arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

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If he was feeling the strain of the day’s events, he did not show it and appeared to enjoy himself as he chatted to designers and fashion industry figures at the prestigious opening.

The monarch sat in the front row for the catwalk show by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, who was supported by his King’s Trust’s Enterprise Programme in 2018. He clapped along to the music and chatted to both designer Stella McCartney and Laura Weir, CEO of the British Fashion Council as models wearing her creations sashayed past.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor currently remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The former prince, who became the first senior royal in modern history to be arrested, is accused of sharing sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

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.

The situation surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to Jeffrey Epstein escalated following his arrest this morning, but why exactly was he arrested?

Read our full explainer, breaking down the legal implications, here.

Andrew has now been officially released from police custody, having been pictured leaving Aylsham police station in Norfolk.

Thames Valley Police released an official statement that said: “Thames Valley Police is able to provide an update in relation to an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office.

“On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrested man has now been released under investigation.We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded.”

The force said its searches in Berkshire are still under way, and that it would make no further statement at this time.

The Swedish royals, including King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, were pictured at the funeral of Princess Desiree, Baroness Silfverschiold, at the Royal Chapel inside the Royal Palace. The late royal died on 21 January, aged 87.

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Though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have drifted from the rest of the British royal family since relinquishing their royal titles, there have been a few moments of connection since.

In fact, when Princess Lilibet was born, the Prince and Princess of Wales secretly sent a gift to their baby niece. Find out more about it here.

En route to an appearance in Georgia, US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, who asked him what he thought of the situation surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

He said: “I think it's a shame. I think it's very sad. I think it's so bad for the royal family. It’s very, very sad. To me, it’s a very sad thing.” 

The 79-year-old added that King Charles “who’s obviously coming to our country very soon”, is “a fantastic man, king”. The King is currently expected to make his state visit in April.

John F. Kennedy Jr. secretly met Princess Diana at The Carlyle in New York City, in the summer of 1995, secretly hoping to have her pose for the cover of his then-upcoming magazine, George.

However, after their meeting, it emerged that he said something rather surprising to the late mother of Prince William, even though he was otherwise "very careful". Read the full story here.

It's been a hectic day for the British royal family, with King Charles' appearance at London Fashion Week to the arrest, developments and subsequent release of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor by the Thames Valley Police.

Stay tuned tomorrow to keep up with all the latest news from the royal families: British, European and beyond! Have a lovely night.