Gordon Brown has claimed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases to meet Jeffrey Epstein.
The former prime minister has demanded an investigation into Andrew’s 10-year tenure as a trade envoy in letters sent to various police forces.
The disgraced former prince had earned himself the nickname ‘Airmiles Andy’, according to The Telegraph, for frequently using public money for private leisure and business trips.
And Brown’s five-page letter claims that the 66-year-old may indeed have been expensing journeys he made to and from personal meetings with paedophile financier Epstein. It is also speculated that on those trips Andrew could have leaked confidential information to the billionaire.
Epstein, who took his own life in prison seven years ago, is understood to have landed at airports such as Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool Birmingham, Norfolk, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted on various trips to Britain.
On one occasion in December 2000 which has sparked concern, he and Ghislaine Maxwell flew into Luton.
The following day, the couple boarded a transfer Gulfstream jet into RAF Marham before making the 30-minute drive to visit Andrew at the Royal Sandringham Estate.
Email and flight logs disclosed by the US Justice Department have revealed that aboard the latter flight were two additional passengers, one of whom is described as an anonymous ‘female’.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have used taxpayers’ money to pay for flights to visit paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein (Pictured: Andrew in May 2023)
Gordon Brown has demanded an investigation into the disgraced former prince’s 10-year tenure as a trade envoy in letters sent to various police forces
Brown, 75, has subsequently urged police to examine whether Epstein was given access to RAF bases by Andrew after his conviction for soliciting child prostitution in 2008.
He believes that Andrew’s use of taxpayers’ money could exacerbate the seriousness of his conduct after his arrest earlier this week and has highlighted concerns that the British state could have been complicit in Epstein’s crimes.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: ‘It is standard practice for spare capacity at RAF airfields in the UK to be used for private or commercial aircraft, subject to regulatory requirements and fees which cover all costs.
‘Such use is not automatic and will only be approved when there is no adverse impact to military aircraft and where approval would not interfere with the security or smooth running of the airfield.’
Andrew spent approximately 11 hours hours in police custody on Thursday after Thameslink officers arrested him at Wood Farm earlier in the day.
It is understood the former Duke of York was taken into custody in relation to allegations he passed sensitive information to convicted paedophile financier Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the British government.
The former prince’s brother King Charles was not given any prior warning of the arrest although the Daily Mail revealed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s team was informed by a senior officer on Thursday morning.
The monarch said in an unprecedented statement that ‘the law must take its course’ after expressing his ‘deepest concern’ after his younger brother was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Jeffrey Epstein (pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell) is understood to have landed at airports such as Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool, Birmingham, Norfolk, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted
Given Andrew (pictured after leaving police custody on Thursday) and Epstein’s use of British military facilities, Brown has urged police to examine whether the latter was given access to RAF bases after his conviction for soliciting child prostitution in 2008
Charles said: ‘I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.
‘What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.
‘Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.
‘As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.’
It was later reported that ministers will consider passing legislation to strip Andrew of his right to inherit the throne.
The younger brother of the King is currently the eighth in line to become monarch, though several politicians have now called for him to be removed from the line of succession.
Andrew had his Royal titles removed last year over his links to Epstein.
On Friday, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: ‘The most important thing right now is that the police be allowed to get on with their job, acting without fear or favour.
‘But clearly this is an issue that parliament is going to have to consider when the time is right – naturally the monarchy will want to make sure he can never become king.’
An Act of Parliament would be required to remove Andrew along with the support of the 14 Commonwealth countries where the King is Head of State, including New Zealand, Canada and Australia, where legislation would also be needed.
On Friday night, Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray confirmed that the Government was ‘considering any further steps that might be required’, and are not ruling anything out.
Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Layla Moran told the BBC today that she had tried to put forward a backbench Bill yesterday to remove Andrew from the line of succession but that it would need to be put forward ‘in government time’.
‘If you can’t be a prince then you shouldn’t be king,’ she said. ‘There is a bizarre quirk of the way the line of succession works where Andrew could still become king and there would be protests in the streets if that happened and that would be the end of the monarchy.’
King Charles (pictured on February 19) said in an unprecedented statement that ‘the law must take its course’ after expressing his ‘deepest concern’ after his younger brother was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office
Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing amid accusations levelled against him over his friendship with Epstein (Pictured: A picture of the former Prince from the Epstein files)
A strong police presence could be seen at the Sandringham Estate over the weekend after Andrew’s arrest on Thursday
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, she called for an ‘independent public inquiry’ into ‘who knew what when about what the Epstein Files have shown’.
Other MPs are said to believe that formal legislation is not required because Andrew is too far removed from the throne to be a concern.
However, supporters of the legislation point out that it is feasible that although he is only eighth in line, he could become a Regent to William’s children in extreme circumstances if anything were to happen to both King Charles and Prince William.
He had stepped down from public duties back in 2019 over allegations about his friendship with Epstein, in the wake of his disastrous Newsnight interview.
But pressure has grown for further action following continued allegations about Andrew after the further release of documents and photographs from the Epstein Files.
It is understood that Thames Valley Police are yet to receive any ‘early investigative advice’ from the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to the allegation.
The Daily Mail has contacted Andrew’s representatives for comment.
