Former Prince Andrew, now styled Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was reportedly arrested on Feb. 19 in connection with allegations that surfaced in the Epstein Files. Authorities say the arrest centers on suspected misconduct in public office and follows searches at multiple addresses. Police statements emphasize an active investigation and the need for careful, objective work while the matter proceeds through the legal system.
Officials say the arrest took place at the Sandringham estate and eyewitnesses reported unmarked police cars and officers in plain clothes early that morning. The timing — on his birthday — added an unusual public glare to the action. It is not yet clear where Mountbatten-Windsor is being held or what the next legal steps will be.
“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, according to The Guardian. That line marks a formal shift from assessment to active inquiry and signals more investigative work ahead. Police have stressed they are coordinating across jurisdictions as they follow leads.
Thames Valley Police provided a separate update: “We have today (19/2) arrested a man in his 60s from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk,” according to The Guardian. “The man remains in police custody at this time.” Those searches indicate investigators are pursuing both documentary and physical evidence connected to the allegation.
Wright also said, “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,” Wright said. That emphasis on process reflects how sensitive and high-profile this matter has become, especially given the international attention tied to the Epstein Files.
The allegations stem from materials and testimony that re-emerged with the Epstein Files, including images and documents that have circulated widely. Among the most serious public claims are allegations by Virginia Giuffre that she was trafficked to Mountbatten-Windsor by Jeffrey Epstein and that she was sexually assaulted. Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied those allegations, and the legal and public fights around them have been long and contested.
This arrest is historically notable because it represents the first time a member of the Royal Family has been taken into custody on allegations of this nature. The Crown took prior administrative action when King Charles III removed certain titles and royal privileges, citing the serious nature of the revelations and the necessity of safeguarding the institution. The newest development places the family and the wider royal institution back under intense scrutiny.
Images linked to the Epstein Files, including a photograph that circulated showing the former royal appearing to lean over a woman, intensified public reaction and fueled fresh investigative interest. Those visuals, and the legal claims accompanying them, helped push authorities to reassess evidence and pursue formal inquiries. Investigation teams are now piecing together timelines, witness statements, and documentary records to establish what happened and whether criminal charges fit the facts.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s public status has shifted considerably over the past year as the fallout from the Epstein Files unfolded, and this arrest escalates the situation into the formal legal realm. Legal experts note that arrests signal that investigators believe there is more than speculative material and that they have lines of inquiry worth pursuing. This is a developing story.
A photo of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is displayed as US Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on “Oversight of the Department of Justice” on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York reacts as he leaves St. George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, after attending the Easter Mattins Service, on March 31, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York (L) and Britain’s King Charles III leave following a Requiem Mass, a Catholic funeral service, for the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral in London on September 16, 2025. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
