Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, once styled Prince Andrew, now sits in police custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Under English law, that offense can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Even stripped of his titles, Andrew remains one of the most senior figures ever connected to the monarchy to face arrest under suspicion of a charge this serious.
On Thursday morning, Thames Valley Police confirmed that a “man in his sixties from Norfolk” had been arrested and that searches were being conducted at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire. The man remains in custody.
Police stated:
“As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The man remains in police custody at this time.
We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance.”
The arrest came on his 66th birthday.
Authorities have indicated the alleged misconduct likely relates to his tenure as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy, a role he relinquished in 2011 as scrutiny over his association with Jeffrey Epstein intensified. The allegations stem from disclosures tied to the Epstein files and claims surrounding Andrew’s conduct during that period.
As reported:
Police have arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office… Thames Valley Police previously said the force is reviewing allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor, and claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
Andrew has denied wrongdoing. He has insisted he never witnessed or suspected Epstein’s crimes.
But misconduct in public office is not a ceremonial rebuke. It concerns serious and willful abuse of public power directly connected to official duties. Public office is built on trust. Allegations of abusing it strike at the foundation of legitimacy itself.
Read More: Jeffrey Epstein and the triumph of the cultural 1%
Images showed officers arriving at the Sandringham estate in what witnesses described as a dramatic police raid. Police vehicles were seen entering property associated with the King’s own residence. The optics are extraordinary. A royal estate transformed into an active search site.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright emphasized the gravity of the investigation:
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.
"It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.”
Privilege, influence, access. Andrew possessed all three. He traveled internationally as a representative of the Crown. He wielded diplomatic authority. He was entrusted with responsibility.
King Charles has already stripped him of royal titles amid earlier Epstein fallout, and the palace has worked methodically to distance itself from him. Buckingham Palace has stated its intention to support authorities if approached. The separation is deliberate. The institution is protecting itself.
What remains now is not pomp, but humiliation.
A man born into extraordinary advantage now faces allegations tied to one of the most infamous criminal scandals in recent memory. The insulated power that once shielded him has collided with accountability.
For decades, Andrew embodied inherited influence without consequence. Today, he embodies its collapse.
And for the monarchy he once represented, that collapse may echo long after the investigation concludes.
Update:
King Charles has issued a statement regarding the matter.
BREAKING: A statement from The King pic.twitter.com/mxdnprd1K9
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) February 19, 2026
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