Former Prince Andrew Arrested in Epstein-Linked Probe, Police Search Royal Properties
In a dramatic development that has shaken the British monarchy, police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday and conducted searches at his former and current residences on Friday. The arrest centers on allegations of misconduct in public office related to his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Arrest and Police Searches
Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was taken into custody at 8 a.m. on Thursday—his 66th birthday—from his home at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate. He was held for nearly 11 hours at Aylsham police station before being released Thursday evening. Police have now concluded their search at Wood Farm, where he currently resides while awaiting completion of his new home at nearby Marsh Farm.
However, investigations continue at Royal Lodge, his 30-room former home near Windsor Castle where he lived for decades until his eviction earlier this month. Throughout Friday morning, unmarked vans believed to be police vehicles were seen entering the grounds of the property located just west of London.
Mountbatten-Windsor remains under investigation by Thames Valley Police, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated. He was photographed slouched in the back of his chauffeur-driven car following his release from custody.
Years of Allegations Culminate in Arrest
The arrest follows years of scrutiny over Mountbatten-Windsor's links with Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019. The specific allegation involves claims that Mountbatten-Windsor—who was stripped of his royal titles and honors by his brother King Charles III in October—shared confidential trade information with the disgraced financier while serving as a UK trade envoy.
Emails released last month by the U.S. Department of Justice appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor forwarding reports about official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore within minutes of receiving them. Another email from late 2010 appears to show him sending Epstein a confidential brief about investment opportunities in Afghanistan's Helmand Province reconstruction.
Multiple Investigations Underway
Thames Valley Police has previously stated it was reviewing separate allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew, though Thursday's arrest was unrelated to those claims. Other police forces are conducting their own investigations into Epstein's UK connections, including assessments of flight logs at airports large and small.
On Friday, London's Metropolitan Police announced it was working with US counterparts to assess whether the capital's airports, including Heathrow, "may have been used to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation." The force has also asked past and present officers who protected Mountbatten-Windsor to consider whether they witnessed anything relevant to the investigations.
Historic Significance and Legal Challenges
Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest marks the first time a royal has been taken into custody since King Charles I nearly four centuries ago—an event that led to civil war, Charles' execution, and the temporary abolition of the monarchy. Legal experts note that proving misconduct in a public office presents significant challenges.
Sean Caulfield, a criminal defense lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen, explained: "Firstly, it must be determined if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was in a role within government that constitutes the title of public officer. There is no standard definition to clearly draw on."
The Crown Prosecution Service will ultimately decide whether to charge Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth in line to the throne. Andrew Gilmore, a partner at Grosvenor Law, noted prosecutors will apply the two-stage test known as the "Code for Crown Prosecutors" to determine if there's sufficient evidence and public interest to proceed.
Royal Response and Separate Allegations
King Charles III issued a statement on Thursday saying "the law must take its course" but that he would not comment further as the process continues. The allegations currently under investigation are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001 when she was 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Her sister-in-law Amanda Roberts expressed mixed emotions about the arrest, saying she felt initial elation but sadness that Giuffre couldn't witness this development. "We can't tell her how much we love her, and that everything that she was doing is not in vain," Roberts added tearfully.
This investigation represents one of the gravest crises to affect the House of Windsor since its establishment more than a century ago, with only the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997 arguably matching its significance for the modern monarchy.
