The Prince and Princess of Wales have stepped out at the BAFTAs amid a tumultuous period for the royal family after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s bombshell arrest.

Kate and William surprised royal watchers with an appearance on the red carpet just three days after Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into police custody on suspicion of sharing UK trade information with Jeffrey Epstein.

On the red carpet, which was shut down for the royal pair, Kate and William dodged a question from an attendee who asked: “Is the monarchy in peril?” – captured in footage shared by Vanity Fair.

It is the first time in three years the couple has attended Britain’s film and TV awards show together.

The Prince and Princess of Wales at the the BAFTAS in London: Photo: AAP

It comes amid more revelations about the tight connection between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein.

In the latest reports from British media, London police officers assigned to the former were instructed to provide security for a dinner ‌party at Epstein’s residence in New York in 2010.

The Sunday Times cited emails from the Epstein files ‌that appear to detail arrangements for Mountbatten-Windsor to stay with the late convicted sex offender in December 2010, along with his two protection officers from London’s Metropolitan Police force.

In an email sent the night before the event with the subject line “Security for party”, ‌an employee informed ⁠Epstein the two officers had been given “instructions on the door”.

The ​reports come after police said on Friday they were contacting former protection officers who worked for Mountbatten-Windsor, urging anyone with allegations of sex offences relating to Epstein to come forward.

Police said they had not so far identified any wrongdoing by protection officers. ⁠Asked to respond to Sunday’s reports, the ‌Metropolitan ​Police said it had no further comment.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday on suspicion ​of misconduct in ‌public office in a separate investigation. He was released under investigation after being ​held by another police force, Thames Valley, for more than 10 hours.

His arrest related to allegations that he sent confidential government documents to Epstein while ​working ​as a trade envoy. As part ​of its investigation, Thames Valley Police continued ‌to search his former mansion in Windsor on Sunday.

Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and said he regretted their friendship.

In 2022, the royal settled a civil lawsuit brought in the US by the late Virginia Giuffre, who ​accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at ​properties owned by Epstein or ⁠his associates. He has denied ever meeting her.

-with AAP