Prince (not) Andrew arrested.

the UK needs to think about what its global image depends upon and the RF is right up there with the UK's main cultural selling points.

I think that ship has sailed.

Tourists don't come to the UK expecting to see or have tea with a member of the royal family. Our heritage remains, our castles and royal estates will be open more to the public, we will still have the pomp, the Marches, the military bands and now all this has happened there will be a cloud over the Royals for a very long time. Understandably

I think they can hold him for 24 hours

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's detention in police custody will be far from what he's used to

Police wouldn't confirm where he's being held, but an inspection of Thames Valley Police cells warned of issues with cleanliness, worn mattresses and a lack of shower privacy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/world/europe/prince-andrew-police-detention.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NVA.NRey.hSjNkI_mB8Ul&smid=url-share

In all the years of my life I have never clapped eyes on any of them apart from the queen and the DoE in a massive Rolls Royce which was driving past a cafe I was in. They had been on a visit to the city I live in and I had not gone to see them nor would I ever. The last thing on my mind when I am travelling anywhere is whether they have royalty and I am sure the same applies to most people.

And mountains and beaches and the Cotswolds and the downs…

Not buying that Britain can't compete with France - we have beaches and mountains, interesting cities and areas of outstanding beauty, in addition to our rich history and culture.

If the govt spent some money on maintaining our beautiful country, I don't see why we wouldn't be able to compete.

Not funding the RF would fill a few potholes no?

I'd suggest we know exactly what may have happened if the relevant documents had been in the UK, nicepotoftea

They'd have been sealed

Typo

I’m not the stupid one here!

When I worked there this was only done after someone was charged but of course this has changed now .

The UK also has beautiful mountains and beaches. The significant difference is the weather. However, the existence of a Royal Family doesn't make up for that.

It's not as though the Royal Family do anything interesting if they aren't getting married or having babies or involving themselves in a scandal. Tourists don't see the Royal Family when they visit.

Do you truly believe the nonsense you've just expressed? IT NEVER WENT TO TRIAL.

A legal system that favours the wealthiest individuals.

Not much I can do to change
stupid.

France's tourism trade does not depend on Paris. That's the point. It's not just the weather, which is obvoiusly much better than the UK's, it's the mountains and the beaches and all the other stuff that the UK cannot match. What the UK can offer is Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, James Bond, Harry Potter, The Beatles, Cool Britannia, the Premier League, cream teas, fish&chips and, yes, the RF who hold a big interest for people throughout the world.

I agree that the reason that Andrew hasn't been arrested for any sexual crimes is lack of evidence, but I don't think its fair to talk about anyone's 'plant sized chip'.

Regardless of whether he engaged in criminal behaviour, Andrew has behaved abhorrently, and senior Royals are implicated in the cover up, even if all they did was try to turn a blind eye.

👏👏👏

As it is the arrest is coming after documents outside of the control of the UK government and the Royal family were made public. We don't know what would have happened if there had been a possibility of sweeping it all under the carpet.

I highly doubt he will be held accountable. He will have access to the best legal team. Look at Trump.

If people truly understood that it is the men in power who control this chaos and avoid punishment through fear, nothing would ever truly change.

People don't visit Paris or Versailles because of their natural beauty.

Granted France has better weather, but most of British castles and stately homes haven't been used by the monarchy for a very long time or never belonged to them in the first place. British history does not disappear if we don't have a monarchy.

Also, perhaps we should be asking whether it is ethical for the public to expect George, Charlotte and Louis to participate in something that we know to be so damaging to those involved.

Not sure if it's been discussed, but does anyone know how long he can be detained for? I wonder if he'll have to stay overnight..I hope he's got his teddy bears with him

Remember this about him being a trade envoy. No arrest yet for the sexual stuff. Hopefully that's to come

It could still end up in court despite the settlement.

My point is that women, girls, and the vulnerable are seen as unworthy and vulnerable to abuse under patriarchy. It implies that sharing secrets is viewed as a severe crime, whereas the rape of women is considered less serious... supposedly. The women who justify this conduct are complicit, including our venerable King and Queen.

We can't really compare France's attraction to that of the UK's when dismissing the impact of the RF for Britain's international profile. France is a massive country with diverse areas of outstanding natural beauty and weather that largely plays ball (Alps, Pyrenees, sun-soaked beaches, giant gorges, forests etc. etc. plus historic city centres not damaged by WW2 bombs as well as all the pomp of the presidental palaces and museums etc.). Since Brexit and with the likes of Farage/Trump/Musk/Vance selling the world the image of the UK as a total dump full of dangerous immigrants, the UK needs to think about what its global image depends upon and the RF is right up there with the UK's main cultural selling points. The reason AMW's arrest is a number one story throughout the world (not least France) is because so many people are genuinely fascinated by the RF. Personally I'm not a monarchist in principle but I think it would be a huge mistake for the UK to get rid of Charles, William, Kate + kids any time soon.

There is no trial, it was settled out of court, so it won't affect anything.

Yes we know there’s evidence, and we’ve all got our own thoughts on it, but if he hasn’t been on trial or been found guilty in court, or publicly admitted it, you can’t go round saying he is, it could affect a trial.

Not really.