 "Andrew kneels over a female in a combination of images released by the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, US, on January 30, 2026. File image/Reuters")
Today (February 19), Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tumultuous life reached its zenith. “A man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England was arrested and remained in custody,” said Thames Valley Police. That man is a former British prince and the brother of King Charles. Andrew has been arrested for alleged misconduct in public office.
Thames Valley Police had earlier said it was “assessing” allegations that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade reports with Jeffrey Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was serving as Britain’s special envoy for international trade.
Andrew’s antics have tested the royal family’s patience for over four decades, generating a string of embarrassing headlines, legal challenges, and allegations that the now 66-year-old may have used his position for personal benefit. As he confronts the force of the law , here are some of the scandals that tarnished the reputation of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son:
January 2026
Among the files recently released by the US Department of Justice were documents that appeared to show the former prince forwarding sensitive government documents and commercial information to Jeffrey Epstein.
The former prince served as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. In 2010, he appears to have forwarded government reports from visits to Vietnam, Singapore and China to Epstein, according to the recently published documents.
That is not all.
Photographs that appeared to show Andrew on all fours over a woman lying on the ground have been included in the latest set of Epstein-related files. In two of the images, he was seen placing his hand on the unidentified, fully clothed female, while another photograph captured him looking directly into the camera.
October 30, 2025
Buckingham Palace announced that the king was stripping Andrew of his remaining titles and evicting him from his royal residence near Windsor Castle. After that, Andrew is now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and not as a prince. He had to move to a private home.
October 17, 2025
Andrew said he was giving up his royal title of the Duke of York and other honours because “the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family”.
October 12, 2025
British newspapers revealed that Andrew sent an email to Epstein on February 28, 2011, more than two months after the prince had told former BBC reporter Emily Maitlis he cut off all contact with his one-time friend.
Andrew wrote the email after continued media reporting about the Epstein scandal, telling him they were “in this together” and would “have to rise above it.”
April 25, 2025
Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in Australia, where she had lived since about 2002. Giuffre accused Andrew of sexual abuse, which he vehemently denies. She had alleged that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.
2024
Andrew’s ties to a suspected Chinese spy were revealed in court documents. The businessman and suspected spy were barred from the UK due to concerns that he posed a threat to national security.
Security officials were concerned that the man could have misused his influence over Andrew.
2022
Andrew agreed to settle a New York civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre. While Andrew didn’t admit to any of Giuffre’s allegations, he acknowledged that she had suffered as a sexual abuse victim.
Legal experts estimated that the undisclosed settlement cost Andrew up to $10 million (around Rs 84 crore).
November 20, 2020
Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew will suspend all royal duties “for the foreseeable future.” Four days later, the prince was stripped of his role as patron of 230 charities.
November 16, 2019
Andrew attempted to take on the flood of criticism by agreeing to an on-camera grilling by BBC reporter Emily Maitlis. The interview backfired when Andrew defended his relationship with Epstein, failed to show empathy for his victims and offered explanations of his behaviour that many people found hard to believe.
Andrew said he broke off contact with Epstein in December 2010, a date that would come back to haunt him.
July 2019
Epstein was arrested for a second time on charges of sex trafficking and later killed himself in a New York jail cell. The news focused public attention on allegations that Andrew had sex with at least one underage teenager trafficked by Epstein. Andrew denied the allegations.
2011
Andrew was forced to resign as Britain’s special trade envoy following the first reports of his links to Epstein. The then-prince was also facing questions about his friendship with Said Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, as well as his links to a convicted Libyan gun smuggler.
2010
An undercover reporter posed as a wealthy Arab who filmed Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and apparently offered to sell access to the prince for £500,000 (around Rs 6 crore).
2007
The prince sold his house at Sunninghill Park, near Windsor Castle, and reports suggested the buyer paid 20 per cent above the asking price of £15 million (around Rs 185.6 crore)
The buyer was reported to be Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of Nursultan Nazarbayev, then president of Kazakhstan, raising concerns that the deal was an attempt to buy influence in Britain.
1984
Andrew sprayed reporters and photographers with paint while touring a construction project in the Watts neighbourhood of Los Angeles. “I enjoyed that,” Andrew said, while wiping his hands on a piece of newspaper.
1970
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor earned the nickname “Randy Andy” after being caught in the girls’ boarding house at Gordonstoun, as reported by the Telegraph.
After years of controversy and scandals, he has now been arrested. His brother King Charles says that “law must take its course”. It remains to be seen how this messy royal chapter unfolds.
With inputs from agencies