UK police have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of committing misconduct in public office.
Photos emerged late this evening, New Zealand time, of unmarked police cars and plain-clothed officers arriving at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
It comes after allegations the former prince shared confidential information with former financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was a UK trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011.
Thames-Valley Police later released a statement confirming they had arrested a man in his 60s from Norfolk and were carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
“The man remains in police custody at this time,” the statement said.
“We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance.”
Today’s arrest comes on Andrew’s 66th birthday.
Thames Valley Police have opened an investigation into an offence of misconduct in public office.
— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) February 19, 2026
A man in his sixties from Norfolk has been arrested and remains in police custody. As per national guidance we will not name the arrested man.
Read more: https://t.co/wehZDx4InV pic.twitter.com/b23l2KeOHG
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said police had opened an investigation into an allegation of misconduct in public office “following a thorough assessment”.
“It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
In October last year, King Charles stripped his disgraced brother of all his titles and privileges, and ordered he surrender the lease to Royal Lodge.
Following news of Andrew’s arrest, the King said in a statement that “the law must take its course”.
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” he said.
“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. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.
“As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
It’s reported that documents appear to show Andrew, while he was UK trade envoy, sent Epstein confidential documents.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing and is yet to respond to UK media requests for comment.
“Attached is a confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province for International Investment Opportunities,” says an email sent by “A” to Epstein’s email address.
“I am going to offer this elsewhere in my network (including Abu Dhabi), but would be very interested in your comments, views or ideas as to whom I could also usefully show this to attract some interest.”
Dated December 19, 2010, the document is entitled “Helmand: High Value Commercial Opportunities for Foreign Investment Brief for HRH Duke of York”.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) website, the charge of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Andrew reportedly first met Epstein in 1999 through the late multimillionaire’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2008, Epstein was convicted in the United States of procuring a minor for prostitution and handed an 18-month jail sentence.
Despite this, the pair were photographed in 2010 walking through Central Park in New York together.
He claimed this was the end of their friendship.
But an email to Epstein in February 2011 “from a member of the British royal family” believed to be Andrew said: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon !!!!”, according to UK court documents revealed in early 2025.
Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking underage girls for sex.
In August 2021 Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew, alleging he sexually assaulted her three times, including twice when she was 17.
In her memoir Nobody’s Girl published earlier this month, Giuffre said she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, having been trafficked by Epstein.
A letter filed to a US court in February 2022 jointly by Giuffre and Andrew’s lawyers revealed they had reached an out-of-court settlement to end her civil case against him.
Andrew – who made no admission of liability – agreed to pay her an undisclosed sum. The exact amount has not been revealed, but was reportedly more than £9 million ($20.6m).
This week British police said they were “assessing” information in the Epstein files that women were trafficked by plane into Britain.
“We are assessing the information that has emerged in relation to private flights into and out of Stansted Airport following the publication of the US DoJ Epstein files,” Essex police said.
The short statement, referring to the late convicted United States sex offender Epstein and the US Department of Justice, did not reference Andrew.
But former United Kingdom prime minister Gordon Brown has been among high-profile figures urging police to probe the disgraced royal’s links to dozens of flights dating back decades tied to Epstein.
A BBC investigation published in December found almost 90 flights linked to the US financier arrived at and departed from UK airports, some with British women on board who claim they were abused by the billionaire.
Writing in the New Statesman magazine last week, Brown said he had been “told privately that the investigations related to the former Prince Andrew did not properly check vital evidence of flights”.
“I have asked the police to look at this as part of the new inquiry,” he stated, adding it appeared “the authorities never knew what was happening”.
“In short, British authorities had little or no idea who was being trafficked through our country, and for whom other than Epstein.”
Andrew could not be reached for comment.
- Additional reporting AFP
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