Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested Thursday morning, Feb. 19, 2026, on suspicion of misconduct in public office following revelations about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 64-year-old was taken into custody at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and later released under investigation, marking the first arrest of a senior British royal in nearly 400 years.
Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrest came after a thorough assessment of reports that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade documents with Epstein in 2010 while serving as Britain’s special representative for international trade. Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said the force had opened a formal investigation and understood the significant public interest in the case.
The misconduct in public office charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in Britain. Police searched two properties connected to the former prince and notified the Home Office 30 minutes before the arrest in line with routine practice, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
King Charles III had pledged his cooperation with any police investigation before the arrest occurred. In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace on Feb. 10, a spokesperson said the king had “made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct.” The palace stated that while the specific claims were for Mountbatten-Windsor to address personally, “if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.”
Following Thursday’s arrest, King Charles issued a separate statement expressing his “deepest concern” about his younger brother. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king wrote in a personally signed message. “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.” The statement reiterated the royal family’s offer of “full and wholehearted support and co-operation” with investigators, making clear the monarch would not interfere with the legal proceedings.
The arrest followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of more than three million pages of documents from its investigation into Epstein. The files reveal extensive correspondence between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein that continued long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
According to the documents, Mountbatten-Windsor undertook a 12-day Southeast Asia trip in October 2010 as the U.K.’s special representative for international trade, traveling to Hanoi, Saigon, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong. Email exchanges show the former prince first shared his travel itinerary with Epstein before the journey, then forwarded official visit reports to him immediately after receiving them from his special adviser Amit Patel on November 30, 2010.
The following month, Mountbatten-Windsor sent Epstein what he described as “a confidential brief” regarding investment opportunities in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, where British forces were stationed. The former prince wrote that he would be “very interested in your comments, views or ideas as to whom I could also usefully show this to attract some interest.”
Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, filed the complaint with Thames Valley Police alleging potential breaches of Britain’s Official Secrets Act and misconduct in public office. Smith, whose organization advocates replacing the monarchy with an elected head of state, compared the allegations to those facing Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords last week after the Epstein files appeared to show he leaked market-sensitive government information to the financier following the 2008 financial crisis. British police raided two properties linked to Mandelson on Friday as part of their investigation into misconduct in public office.
Prince William and Princess Catherine issued their first public comment on the Epstein revelations, with a spokesperson saying the couple remains “deeply concerned” by ongoing disclosures and focused on the victims. The palace reiterated that King Charles and Queen Camilla’s “thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.”
The scandal’s public impact became evident during King Charles’s visit to Lancashire in northwest England on Feb. 10. While most of the crowd applauded and waved flags, one person shouted, asking how long the king had known about Andrew’s conduct.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein has troubled the royal family for more than a decade. The relationship persisted even after Epstein’s conviction, with the former prince traveling to New York in December 2010 to meet with him. Mountbatten-Windsor later told the BBC he made that trip specifically to end their friendship, though the Epstein documents show their correspondence continued.
Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to step away from royal duties in November 2019 after he attempted to justify his relationship with Epstein during a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview. The decision followed mounting public anger over his continued association with a convicted sex offender.
King Charles has taken unprecedented measures to separate the monarchy from his brother. Last year, he stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his right to use the title of prince and compelled him to vacate Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle. In early February 2026, the king accelerated Andrew’s departure from the residence, requiring him to leave months ahead of the original schedule as public frustration grew over the former prince still benefiting from royal privileges despite no longer serving as a working royal.
Mountbatten-Windsor now resides at Wood Farm Cottage on the king’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where he was arrested Thursday. He became Britain’s special representative for international trade in 2001 but resigned from the position in 2011 amid growing criticism of his relationship with Epstein.
The former prince has consistently denied all wrongdoing related to his friendship with Epstein. He told Newsnight in 2019 that he never witnessed or suspected any of the criminal behavior of which Epstein was accused. Mountbatten-Windsor has also denied allegations made by the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sex with him while underage. Giuffre died by suicide in 2025.
Following Thursday’s arrest, Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts told CNN the family felt “sad that she’s not here to celebrate this with us and with her survivor sisters,” calling the arrest “a step in the right direction.” His wife Amanda expressed hope that King Charles’s promise of cooperation with authorities would prove sincere.
President Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, called the arrest “very sad” and “a shame” for the royal family without mentioning Epstein. When asked whether Epstein associates could face arrest in the United States, Trump said, “Well, you know, I’m the expert, in a way, because I’ve been totally exonerated.”
Democratic lawmakers called for accountability. Representative Robert Garcia of California, ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, described the arrest as “an enormous step forward” and called for an end to what he termed a “White House cover-up.” Representative Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia said he hoped the arrest would “show that there will be accountability even if you hide, regardless of how rich and powerful you are.”
Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown submitted a memorandum to the relevant police forces regarding the Epstein files following the arrest. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney representing Epstein victims, said the development may “restore some faith for those who believed justice was unreachable.”
The Justice Department’s document release represents one of the largest public disclosures of investigative files in recent history. The materials reveal extensive information about Epstein’s network of wealthy and influential contacts worldwide, with police forces in the United Kingdom coordinating with overseas law enforcement about the revelations.
While the royal family has weathered numerous scandals over the centuries, the Epstein revelations pose distinct challenges. The ongoing release of documents means new information may continue surfacing for months, keeping the controversy in the public spotlight and the monarchy under unprecedented scrutiny.
