Our coverage of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office has reflected the impact of this story and the global interest it has provoked.  As eight in line to the throne, Andrew is the most senior royal to be arrested in over 350 years.  It is appropriate that we followed developments closely, examining the legal and constitutional implications, and what this means for the Royal Family and Andrew.  There were high levels of audience interest in this story, with our live page on Andrew’s arrest being our most viewed article of the year in the UK so far. However, we continued to also report on several other stories of national and international significance.

It was important to update our audience as new information became available.  We explained what the police operation involved and detailed the nature of the specific allegations made against the former prince.  We included statements from Thames Valley Police and Buckingham Palace in our reporting.  We also made clear that while Andrew hasn’t responded to the BBC’s request for comment regarding new allegations, following revelations in the recently released Epstein files, he has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Jeffrey Epstein.

Since his arrest, the government have said they are considering legislation to remove Andrew from the royal line of succession, with the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand saying they would back this.

We believe it was proportionate and legitimate to offer detailed analysis of the many aspects and potential consequences of this story, reflecting the historic nature of what occurred, and hearing a wide range of voices.  We will continue to report on developments, being mindful of legal considerations.