Anthony Albanese has described the arrest of the former Prince Andrew as an “extraordinary fall from grace.”
In an interview with The Guardian’s “Australian Politics” podcast, the Australian Prime Minister also shared his thoughts about whether the arrest will lead to another republic referendum.
Albanese Comments on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Arrest
According to The Guardian, Albanese called the allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor “very serious.”
The former prince has been accused of sharing confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a trade envoy for the British government.
“These are very serious allegations, and because they will be, no doubt, the subject of court action, I’m limited in what I can say,” Albanese said.
The prime minister noted, “But people will be following the detail here. This appears to be about [classified] documents, and whether they were inappropriately forwarded on to someone who wasn’t eligible.”
“But, of course, there’s the bigger issue as well when it comes to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,” he added. “No doubt, we will wait and see where this all goes.”
Albanese also reveals that the government is not planning another republic referendum amid the controversy surrounding the royal family.
“I’m a republican but we had a referendum during the last term,” Albanese pointed out. “Referendums are hard to pass in Australia.”
“I have respect for King Charles, I must say, and for Queen Camilla. I have had a good relationship with him,” he went on to explain. “He very much loves Australia. And his visit here, I must say, was a very positive one.”
However, Albanese made sure to emphasize that his comments do not “change the fact I think there should [eventually] be an Australian head of state.”
The Arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, which happened to be his 66th birthday, as he is accused of misconduct in public office.
According to The Independent, the former prince was held in the Aylsham police station, where he was questioned for 11 hours.
Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed leaving the police station as he was released under investigation. He has returned to Sandringham.
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