Former Prince Andrew arrested in U.K. amid Epstein investigation: Here’s what we know

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein last year, was arrested early Thursday by U.K. police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has since been released from custody.

Mountbatten-Windsor is the younger brother of King Charles and the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The arrest — which came on Andrew’s 66th birthday — was the latest development in a scandal that has dogged the royal family for more than a decade.

What did police say?

​​In a statement announcing the arrest, the Thames Valley Police did not name Mountbatten-Windsor, which is standard under U.K. law.

Authorities said they had arrested “a man in his sixties from Norfolk” around 8 a.m. and taken him into police custody. They announced late Thursday that he had been “released under investigation.” He has not been charged.

Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed leaving the Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk, roughly 50 miles from the Sandringham Estate where he now lives.

Police also said that they were conducting searches at two properties in connection with the case.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”

Police had said that investigators were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information with Epstein in 2010, when he was serving as a U.K. trade envoy.

The reports stemmed from correspondence between the two men contained in millions of pages of documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein.

How we got here

Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and the late financier’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, dates back to at least 1999, when they were photographed together at the royal family’s Balmoral estate.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s ties to Epstein were first reported in 2011. He was forced by Buckingham Palace at the time to step down as trade envoy. He denied any wrongdoing.

In a lawsuit filed against Maxwell in 2015, Virginia Giuffre alleged that Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17 years old. He denied the allegations.

The firestorm erupted following Epstein’s suicide in 2019, when Andrew gave a disastrous interview to the BBC defending their friendship and claiming that he never met Giuffre, despite a widely circulated photograph showing otherwise.

He stepped back from his royal duties, and Queen Elizabeth subsequently stripped Andrew of his military titles as the Epstein scandal grew.

Giuffre filed suit against Andrew in 2021. It was settled out of court the following year.

In April 2025, Giuffre died by suicide at age 41.

In October, after the publication of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir detailing her allegations against Andrew, King Charles stripped him of his royal titles and evicted him from his longtime home near Windsor Castle.

What did King Charles say about Andrew’s arrest?

King Charles III issued a statement following his brother’s arrest, saying that “the law must take its course” and that the royal family was fully cooperating with police:

I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

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.

The king attended the first day of London Fashion Week in central London on Thursday. He did not make additional comments on the case.

What did Giuffre’s family say?

The Giuffre family released a statement on Thursday, saying “no one is above the law, not even royalty.”

The family thanked police “for the investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”

“He was never a prince,” they said, adding: “For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”

What did Trump say?

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, President Trump, who has faced questions about his own relationship with Epstein, called the former prince’s arrest a “very sad thing.”

“I’m the expert in a way because I’ve been totally exonerated, so I can speak on it, I can speak on it very nicely.” Trump said. “I think it’s a shame. I think it’s very sad. I think it’s so bad for the royal family. It’s a very, very sad — to me, when I see that, it’s a very sad thing.”