Even after being stripped of his official titles by his brother, King Charles III, the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has taken many by surprise, according to a seasoned royal commentator.

Speaking with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Bidisha Mamata described today’s arrest as “extraordinary, unexpected, and damaging,” despite the years of scandal that have enveloped Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mamata highlighted the public outrage that erupted after the Epstein files were released in January. These documents allegedly indicated that Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, during his tenure as a trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct in his interactions with Epstein.

Nonetheless, Mamata noted that there was widespread skepticism about whether any serious consequences would befall the former prince.

“The ongoing discussion has been about the scandal’s gravity and its prolonged nature, yet questions remained about whether a senior royal would ever face arrest,” Mamata explained.

“This serves as a warning,” the royal expert concluded.

“It has always traditionally been the case that there are certain people in society who act with impunity and entitlement and think that whatever is done amongst friends, cronies, cohorts, is going to be absolutely fine.”