Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, once lauded as a war hero and Queen Elizabeth II’s cherished son, was arrested by British police on Thursday. This comes amidst intensifying scrutiny over his connections to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
His arrest, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, marks a significant blow to the British monarchy. It represents the latest development in his ongoing downfall, which saw him stripped of royal titles and evicted from his royal residence months prior, owing to his association with Mr. Epstein.
While police refrained from disclosing specific details of the investigation, the arrest of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III’s younger brother (formerly known as Prince Andrew), follows reports suggesting he might have shared confidential information with Mr. Epstein during his tenure as a British trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
Authorities did not address the sexual abuse accusations that have long shadowed Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, nor the trafficking allegations Mr. Epstein faced before his suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019.
In a rare public statement addressed directly to the British people, King Charles expressed his “deepest concern” regarding his brother’s arrest.
“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,” Charles wrote. “In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation.”
He concluded with a resolute tone, stating, “Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.” Later that day, Charles attended an event for London Fashion Week, while Queen Camilla attended an orchestral concert.
This arrest is unprecedented in modern British history. The last senior member of the royal family to be arrested for a serious crime was King Charles I, who was executed for treason nearly four centuries ago, on January 30, 1649.
The detention of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was released after approximately 11 hours, has intensified the crisis facing the British crown. This escalation follows ongoing revelations about his ties to Mr. Epstein and allegations that he sexually abused a young woman trafficked to him by the American. The former prince has consistently denied raping the woman, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Republic, a British anti-monarchy group, stated it had submitted evidence of potential misconduct in public office to the Thames Valley Police, the force leading the investigation west of London.
Gordon Brown, who served as British prime minister during Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s time as a government trade envoy, issued a statement confirming he had provided additional information about Mr. Epstein to the Thames Valley Police before the arrest.
The Thames Valley Police, adhering to national guidelines, did not publicly name the arrested individual but confirmed that “a man in his sixties from Norfolk” was taken into custody around 8 a.m., with searches conducted at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk.
Police were observed at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, the private 20,000-acre country retreat of Charles and Camilla, where Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor has resided since his eviction from Royal Lodge in Windsor earlier this year.
Authorities later confirmed the arrested man was “released under investigation,” indicating that inquiries are ongoing. Photos distributed by the BBC showed Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor in the back seat of a car, seemingly departing a police station. Under British law, suspects generally cannot be held for more than 24 hours without charges.
Within the British legal system, the investigation can proceed, and charges may be filed at a later date. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
British prosecutorial guidelines define misconduct in public office as occurring when a public officer “willfully neglects to perform their duty” or “willfully misconducts themselves” in a manner that abuses public trust.
There is no legal precedent for whether a member of the royal family can be classified as a public officer. However, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor served as a government trade envoy and was a helicopter pilot for the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina.
He first met Mr. Epstein in the late 1990s through Ghislaine Maxwell, then Epstein’s girlfriend and daughter of British media mogul Robert Maxwell. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor stated in a 2019 BBC interview that his friendship with Epstein was valuable, partly due to the networking opportunities it presented.
Ms. Giuffre had accused Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell of luring her into sexual abuse under the pretense of a professional masseuse role.
In 2022, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor paid Ms. Giuffre an undisclosed sum to settle a New York lawsuit accusing him of raping her when she was 17, without admitting any wrongdoing.
Ms. Giuffre tragically died by suicide last year. Her family, upon hearing of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, released a statement:
“At last,” the family said. “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
David Lammy, Britain’s deputy prime minister and justice secretary, echoed this sentiment on the BBC, emphasizing that “nobody in this country is above the law” and that the investigation “must happen in the usual way.”
The arrest highlights a stark difference in how authorities have responded to the Epstein files. While British authorities have aggressively pursued potential crimes stemming from the documents, U.S. police have been less proactive in similar investigations, despite the files implicating powerful figures across business, academia, entertainment, and politics.
Commenting on the arrest to reporters, President Trump remarked: “I think it’s a shame. I think it’s very sad. I think it’s so bad for the royal family.”
Additionally, British police are investigating whether Peter Mandelson, a veteran British political figure and former ambassador to the United States, engaged in misconduct in public office by sharing sensitive government documents with Mr. Epstein. Mr. Mandelson denies any criminal behavior.
The released files also revealed extensive personal correspondence between Sarah Ferguson, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife and former Duchess of York, and Mr. Epstein, continuing long after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution.