Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest took place at his home, Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, with plainclothes officers and unmarked police cars arriving at about 8am. He was questioned for nearly 12 hours at Aylsham police station in Norfolk before being released under investigation later that evening.
The arrest relates to allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive information with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy. Documents released by the US justice department appeared to show emails sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, as well as a confidential brief on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Police searched both the Sandringham property and his former residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Thames Valley police confirmed searches in Norfolk had concluded, while those at Royal Lodge were continuing. The Home Office was alerted 30 minutes before the arrest in line with routine practice, but neither the King nor Buckingham Palace was informed in advance.
King Charles expressed his “deepest concern” over the arrest of his younger brother, stating that “the law must take its course” and that police had his “full and wholehearted support and cooperation”. Prince William and Catherine are understood to support the King’s remarks.
Virginia Giuffre’s family, who died last year, said the arrest showed “no one is above the law” and thanked Thames Valley police for their investigation. Maria Farmer, the first known survivor to report Epstein and Maxwell to law enforcement, called the arrest “the beginning of accountability and justice”. Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, described the arrest as “a shame” and “very sad”, adding that it was “so bad for the Royal family”.
