 "Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaving Aylsham police station on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Reuters")
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor , the former prince from the United Kingdom’s royal family, was released 11 hours after he was taken into police custody over suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former British royal was arrested on Thursday morning after he was accused of sending confidential government documents to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Interestingly, Andrew was arrested on the same day he was celebrating his 66th birthday and was questioned throughout the day by detectives from Thames Valley Police. Earlier this month, the police force said that it was looking into allegations that he had passed documents to Epstein while working as a trade envoy.
Soon after his arrest, King Charles III said that “the law must take its course”. The British police officers have been investigating him for several allegations that emerged after US authorities released more than 3 million pages of documents relating to the disgraced financier Epstein.
Some of these files suggested that in 2010, Andrew forwarded to Epstein reports about Vietnam, Singapore and other places he had visited on official trips as UK trade envoy. In one of these confidential memos, the former British royal went on to seek Epstein’s views on investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Investigation ongoing
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said, “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. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time," he added.
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View AllMeanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Andrew will also have to cooperate with the United States authorities in their investigation. “No one is above the law,” he added. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The news was welcomed by the family of late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre . “At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” Giuffre’s siblings said in a statement to CBS News. “He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you,” said the family members of Giuffre, who died by suicide last year at age 41.
It is pertinent to note that Giuffre had alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor on three occasions, twice when she was just 17. Her accusations and other documents made the UK angry over Andrew’s ties to Epstein. It eventually led to the former prince being stripped of his royal titles and honours and announcing that he would be ousted from his mansion on the royal estate at Windsor, west of London. Andrew has always denied that he sexually abused Giuffre.
After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multimillion-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt. Giuffre eventually died by suicide in April 2025.