LEILA FADEL, HOST:
It's an unprecedented, almost unthinkable sight. Police are searching homes of the British royals today.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
This after one of their own was arrested for the first time in nearly four centuries. King Charles' brother, Andrew, was released from police custody last night, but police are still investigating whether he illegally passed British government documents to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
FADEL: For the latest, we're joined by NPR's Lauren Frayer in London. Good morning, Lauren.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: OK. So what is the latest in the investigation, given he has been released from police custody?
FRAYER: Released after 11 hours. Police say Andrew is still under investigation, though. So that means he's neither been charged nor exonerated. Andrew hasn't commented on the latest allegations. He did settle a lawsuit years ago with one of Epstein's underage victims and has strenuously denied any wrongdoing all along. There are photos of him looking really shell-shocked last night, hunched in the back seat of an SUV being driven away from a police station. Police are searching those royal properties today. They're also doing digital searches of those latest Epstein files, which prompted this arrest. They're looking specifically at Andrew's emails from the early 2000s, when he was a U.K. trade envoy, and when he allegedly forwarded Epstein government travel itineraries, investment plans, which could have violated the U.K.'s Official Secrets Act. Misconduct in public office is what police say Andrew is suspected of, and that carries up to life in prison.
FADEL: OK. Now, I know this news is still so fresh, but what impact could this have on the British monarchy?
FRAYER: I'm actually at a briefing right now with a group of anti-monarchy campaigners. I mean, they are hoping this leads the U.K. to get rid of its royals.
FADEL: How significant is this anti-monarchy group?
FRAYER: I mean, it's a movement that has existed for decades - centuries, even. It's too soon to say whether it's gathering steam in the wake of Andrew's arrest. Polls taken before yesterday show most Brits still support the monarchy. We'll see if that changes now. Campaigners want it to, but, you know, the palace's PR machine is also in full force. I spoke to Andrew's biographer. His name is also Andrew - Andrew Lownie - before the arrest, and he told me, look, the royals have long known Andrew was a liability. Royal bodyguards accompanied him to Epstein's island. And Lownie says it just reached a tipping point.
ANDREW LOWNIE: Prince William doesn't want to inherit this problem. It's shaped the reign of Charles. It's a distraction from all the other work they do. It's undermined the reputation of the members of the family. It's pretty much destroyed the institution. They want to get rid of this problem.
FRAYER: And yesterday, King Charles said, quote, "the law must take its course." That may mean distancing himself from his own brother to try to save the monarchy.
FADEL: How are Brits reacting?
FRAYER: Leila, if it's any indication, the Daily Mail, one of the biggest newspapers here, you actually have to turn past 15 pages to get to any story today that's not Andrew. This has been the talk of pubs across the U.K. Some call it the biggest royal crisis since Princess Diana's death or since the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII. Some go back further to Charles I. He was the last royal to be arrested in 1647, and it didn't work out so well for him. He got tried and beheaded. There's anger. There's sympathy for Epstein's victims. There's also some sympathy for Andrew, at least on Air Force One. President Trump told reporters there it's sad. It's a shame. It's bad for the royals. King Charles is expected to travel to the U.S. later this year. I'll be watching for whether that actually goes ahead, given all the family turmoil at home.
Overall, I would say Brits are shocked. They're absorbing the idea that his majesty's police are investigating his majesty's brother, who is still eighth in line for the throne, as of today. And he could be charged today. He could be charged a month from now, or never. We'll just have to wait and see.
FADEL: That's NPR's Lauren Frayer in London. Thank you, Lauren.
FRAYER: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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