Royal Family 'preparing' cold blooded move against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following arrest

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest raises several questions about what will happen next.

Thames Valley Police arrested the former Duke of York on his 66th Birthday (19 February) on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

After around 11 hours in custody, he was pictured leaving Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk and remains under investigation.

Andrew, who has denied any wrongdoing in connection with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, still remains eighth in line to the throne. He is behind Prince William, his three children, Prince Harry and his two children.

While the government are considering legislation to remove Andrew from the royal line of succession, Coventry University politics expert, Dr Darren Reid, has revealed how he thinks the royal family are going to navigate this.

Andrew is royal family's 'blood sacrifice'

(Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

"Their strategy will be distance. They will use Andrew as a blood sacrifice to cover up their own complicity in the affair," the history professor told LADbible.

"Their hands are not clean. Therefore, I would expect the royals to be distancing themselves publicly and furiously from Andrew.

"They will probably try to act like he was not really a part of their family, and that this is a completely unrelated manner."

'He'll end up in council property somewhere'

Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Andrew vacated his long-time home Royal Lodge earlier this month after losing his royal titles and lease.

He's now temporarily living in a five-bedroom cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Dr Reid, however, thinks 'it's not beyond the realms of possibility that if charges are pressed that the king essentially evicts his brother and he'll end up in council property somewhere'.

"It's not beyond the realms of possibility, but I'm not sure how likely that is to happen," he said.

"I don't think King Charles will evict his brother. He's somewhat stood by him, albeit passively, up until now, and expect that pattern to continue unless the charges become so catastrophic or the evidence so damaging that the only way the royals can manage it is by severing every last link they have with him. He’s literally their blood sacrifice."

What will happen next?

Andrew remains under investigation (Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)

The king said in a statement following the arrest that police and investigators have the royal family’s 'full and wholehearted support and co-operation' and that 'the law must take its course'.

Dr Reid predicts that the royals will 'keep as much distance between them and Andrew as possible', as they have done for some time.

"You will see business as usual, public engagements from William and Kate where they will attempt to present themselves as if aloof from all of this," he said.

"You will see Andrew disappear back into Sandringham and the police will slowly process forward. The big question is do they press charges? That’s the big unknown that none of us can know at the moment."

It is currently unknown on what grounds Andrew's arrest was made but misconduct of public office can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

'The royal family has gone through worse'

Although Dr Reid thinks 'the royal family has gone through worse', he still called it 'by far the worst scandal of the 21st Century'.

"In other cases, you know, Windsor Castle catching fire, them not paying taxes is one thing. The death of Princess Diana and how she was treated in life was another," he added.

"But to have a senior member of the royal family first be stripped of all of his titles, including Prince, for his association with a convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, is just astounding."

Interview conducted by Joe Harker