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Former Royal Andrew Arrested in Connection to Jeffrey Epstein Scandal
LONDON — The former Prince Andrew was arrested and held for hours Thursday by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking an unprecedented moment in modern royal history.
The arrest represents the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal has been placed under arrest, underscoring how deference to the monarchy has significantly eroded in recent years.
King Charles III, whose late mother Queen Elizabeth II famously adhered to the motto “never complain, never explain,” took the unusual step of issuing a public statement regarding the arrest of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”
The Thames Valley Police force confirmed that Mountbatten-Windsor was released Thursday evening, approximately 11 hours after being detained at his home in eastern England. He was photographed leaving the police station near the royal Sandringham estate in a vehicle. Police stated he was released “under investigation,” meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.
Police previously announced they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was serving as Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department last month as part of millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.
“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.
The 66-year-old Mountbatten-Windsor recently moved to the king’s private estate in Norfolk after being evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month. Police conducted searches at both his Sandringham home and his former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, described the situation as “the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” comparing its severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
“And it may not be over yet,” Prescott added.
The arrest came just one day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council announced the creation of a special group to assist forces across the U.K. in assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain. Documents released by the U.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jet to traffic women to and from Britain.
Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001 when she was 17, died by suicide last year. Her allegations are separate from the misconduct currently being investigated, but her family expressed a sense of vindication at the recent developments.
Amanda Roberts, Giuffre’s sister-in-law, said she was overjoyed upon learning about the arrest but those feelings were complicated by the realization that she couldn’t share the news with Giuffre. “We can’t tell her how much we love her, and that everything that she was doing is not in vain,” Roberts said tearfully.
Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother, added that his sister would be celebrating this development while pushing for greater accountability in both the U.K. and U.S. “We need to unmask the co-conspirators and potential perpetrators. And then we need to see indictments,” Amanda Roberts stated.
The documents that prompted the investigation have also impacted British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced questions about his judgment after papers revealed Peter Mandelson, whom Starmer appointed ambassador to the U.S., had a longer and closer relationship with Epstein than previously disclosed. London’s Metropolitan Police Service is investigating allegations of misconduct in public office related to Mandelson’s correspondence with Epstein. Mandelson was fired as ambassador to the U.S. in September.
The last time a senior British royal was arrested was nearly 400 years ago during the reign of King Charles I, amid a power struggle between the crown and Parliament. After Charles I attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell. Charles I was subsequently arrested, tried, convicted of high treason, and beheaded in 1649.
Concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have dogged the royal family for more than a decade. Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after a disastrous BBC interview in which he attempted to explain away his friendship with Epstein.
As evidence mounted about what the Epstein files might reveal, King Charles moved aggressively to insulate the royal family from the fallout. Since October, Charles has stripped his younger brother of his royal title, forced him to vacate the royal estate he occupied for more than 20 years, and issued a public statement supporting Epstein’s victims.
Emails between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein contradicted the former prince’s claims that he severed ties with the financier after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The correspondence shows Epstein offering to arrange a date between Mountbatten-Windsor and a young Russian woman in 2010, and the then-prince inviting Epstein to dinner at Buckingham Palace. Additional correspondence appears to show Mountbatten-Windsor sending Epstein reports from a Southeast Asia tour undertaken in his capacity as Britain’s trade envoy.
Law enforcement expert Danny Shaw told the BBC that the former prince would have been placed in “a cell in a custody suite” with just “a bed and a toilet” while awaiting police interview. “There’ll be no special treatment for him,” Shaw said.
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9 Comments
It will be crucial to see how this case progresses and whether it leads to any broader reckoning within the royal family or the British establishment more broadly. The public deserves answers.
The royal family has faced numerous scandals in recent years, and this arrest will only add to the public scrutiny and pressure they are under. It’s critical that the legal process is allowed to play out transparently and impartially.
Regardless of Andrew’s royal status, he must be held accountable if any wrongdoing is proven. The law should apply equally to all, even the highest in the land.
Absolutely. No one should be above the law, especially those in positions of power and privilege.
As much as the public may crave details, it’s wise for King Charles to refrain from further comment at this stage. The legal system must be allowed to function independently. Hopefully the truth will come to light, whatever it may be.
This development highlights the complex and often murky connections between the British elite and figures like Epstein. It will be interesting to see if this case sheds any light on those networks and relationships.
Agreed, the potential for wider revelations is concerning. The public deserves a full accounting of any improper activities.
This is certainly an unprecedented and troubling development. It will be important to see how the investigation into Prince Andrew’s ties to Epstein unfolds and what the full facts of the case are. Misconduct by a senior royal is a very serious matter.
This case underscores the need for continued vigilance and investigation into elite circles that may harbor abuses of power. Transparency and accountability must be the priority, even for the monarchy.