February 19, 2026
By Amelia Nierenberg and Lizzie Dearden
Reporting from London
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced brother of King Charles III who was until late last year known as Prince Andrew, was arrested by the British police on Thursday morning. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, stripped of his royal titles last year due to his extensive ties with the American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was taken into custody by authorities. Late Thursday evening, the BBC reported that he was seen leaving the police department. King Charles stated his full support for a “full, fair and proper process” in the ongoing investigation.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Why was Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor arrested?
- What else is in the Epstein files?
- What comes next?
- What is misconduct in public office?
- How has the royal family reacted?
Credit: Justin Tallis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Why was Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor arrested?
The British police have not released specific details regarding the investigation, stating only that a man was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, in accordance with British police rules against naming suspects. Previous reports indicate that Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor may have improperly shared confidential government documents with Mr. Epstein while serving as a trade envoy for the British government from 2001 to 2011.
Credit: Justin Tallis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
What else is in the Epstein files?
The U.S. Justice Department recently released a trove of documents, known colloquially as the Epstein files. These documents reportedly included photos of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor appearing to kneel over an unknown woman lying on a floor.
These photos emerged after years of controversy surrounding damning details about Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s alleged sexual abuse of a young woman, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who was trafficked to him by Mr. Epstein. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied sexually assaulting Ms. Giuffre.
Doubts about his account of his relationship with Mr. Epstein—and further details of his alleged sexual misconduct found in a memoir by Ms. Giuffre published posthumously last year—ultimately made his position in the royal family untenable. There was no mention in Thursday’s police statement of any accusations of sexual abuse or trafficking.
Credit: US District Court — Southern District of New York
What comes next?
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody following his arrest but was released on Thursday evening. He was photographed leaving a Norfolk police station in the back of a car. The Thames Valley Police confirmed in a statement that the case remains under investigation.
Under British law, police typically cannot hold suspects for more than 24 hours without charging them. A court can grant an extension to hold them for a maximum of 96 hours.
If the police determine an offense has been committed, they will send a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. This service then brings charges if it believes there is a realistic prospect of conviction and that pursuing the case is in the public interest. This process can span several months.
What is misconduct in public office?
Guidance for British prosecutors states that this offense is committed when a public officer “willfully misconducts themselves” in a way that abuses the public’s trust, among other offenses.
Credit: Kin Cheung/Associated Press
A conviction would hinge on both the legal definition of “public officer” and also “willful.” The offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Public Officer: There is no precise definition of a public officer in British law; cases are assessed individually. Past prosecutions have included elected officials, government staff workers, and members of the armed forces. However, no case has ever tested whether a member of the royal family could be considered a public officer. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor served as the British government’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011 and was previously an officer in the Royal Navy.
Willful: For an action to be considered willful, an individual must have known it to be wrong or acted with “reckless indifference as to whether it is wrong or not,” according to prosecution guidance.
How has the royal family reacted?
King Charles issued a statement on Thursday, asserting that British authorities had “our full and wholehearted support and cooperation.”
“The law must take its course,” he said, describing the investigative process as “full, fair and proper.”
Credit: Chris Radburn/Reuters
This statement follows 15 years of the royal family striving to avoid the taint of Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Mr. Epstein. The scandal has plunged the family into its most serious crisis since the death of Princess Diana in 1997, overshadowing even the public departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from royal duties.
In 2022, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor was compelled to relinquish his military titles and royal charities shortly before he settled a lawsuit with Ms. Giuffre, who claimed he sexually abused her around 2001 when she was under 18.
In late 2025, a memoir by Ms. Giuffre, who had died by suicide earlier that year, offered more sordid details. As public outcry intensified, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor was subsequently stripped of his royal titles.
Just this month, he was evicted from his residence, the Royal Lodge in Windsor. He has since moved to a home personally owned by King Charles on the grounds of Sandringham, a royal residence.
Amelia Nierenberg is a Times reporter covering international news from London.