The news
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has been arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate on his 66th birthday.
The arrest relates to suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor is now in custody after UK police arrived at the property in plain clothes in the early hours of Thursday morning, local time.
The arrest follows the recent release of millions of documents from the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice.
The arrest is unrelated to his treatment of women or his history with Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Mountbatten-Windsor has faced accusations for many years that he sexually assaulted Guiffre, but he has repeatedly denied the claims.
Why has he been arrested?
British police say they arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The investigation was sparked by the release of the latest Epstein document files on January 30 that revealed Mountbatten-Windsor sent files to Epstein when he worked as a government trade envoy.
This revelation led to a police inquiry into whether the former prince shared confidential information with Epstein.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement on Thursday that police had opened an investigation into the allegation of misconduct in public office after a “thorough assessment”.
Thames Valley Police said properties in Berkshire and Norfolk were being searched as part of the investigation.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
What is misconduct in public office?
The offence of misconduct in public office relates to serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the office held.
The common law offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and dates back many centuries in the UK.
It needs to be shown that the accused was acting in an official capacity, that they wilfully neglected to perform their duty or engaged in misconduct and that their conduct must have been bad enough as to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder.
There is a reasonable excuse of justification exemption.
What are the former prince’s links to Jeffrey Epstein?
The former prince has been under scrutiny for years over his ties to Epstein, but the most recent release of files has brought fresh scrutiny to his work as a UK trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor is accused of using his role as a UK trade envoy – a role he held for 10 years from 2001 – to leak sensitive information to his friends. He is accused of forwarding private briefings to external sources, including Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but he has not responded to specific requests for comment after the latest files were published by the US government.
Mountbatten-Windsor has faced long-standing accusations, which he denies, of sexually assaulting Virginia Roberts Giuffre and being sent other women through Epstein’s network.
Emails released last year show the former prince kept in touch with Epstein for months longer than previously claimed.
What was revealed in the Epstein files about Mountbatten-Windsor?
The original tranche of Epstein files detailed allegations made by Giuffre that she was forced to have sexual encounters with the former prince. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied this.
The documents also revealed the testimony of a second accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, who said that Mountbatten-Windsor groped her at a party at Epstein’s New York mansion in 2001, and made sexual advances on her and Giuffre with a puppet that looked like him.
Guiffre settled a civil lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor out of court in 2022, which included him making a donation in the millions of pounds to her charity; there was no admission of guilt.
Virginia Giuffre took her own life in April, 2025. In her posthumous memoir, she reiterated her claims that Mountbatten-Windsor had sexually exploited her when she was a teenager. Mountbatten-Windsor has rejected Giuffre’s allegations and has said he didn’t recall meeting her.
The new tranche of Epstein files released this year reveal Mountbatten-Windsor sent files to Epstein when he worked as a government trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor passed documents to Epstein about his trade missions to Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Afghanistan. It is unclear whether these documents were confidential.
The 2026 tranche of released files also included photographs of Andrew appearing to be on all fours, crouching over an unidentified woman on the floor.
Another set of documents in the latest release also appear to contradict claims that Mountbatten-Windsor made about seeking to end his relationship with Epstein.
The files show that he seemed more than happy to stay in touch with Epstein despite the fact that his friend had emerged from detention in 2010 after being convicted of sex with an underage girl and serving time in prison.
What have the police said?
UK police released a statement shortly after the former prince was arrested. It comes after police said they were investigating a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material with Epstein.
In the statement, police say they arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The release does not name the former prince.
The statement also reveals that Mountbatten-Windsor is right now in custody.
The statement goes on to repeat this information and to promise updates in the case.
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