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ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR TODAY became the first senior British royal in modern history to be arrested.
He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and is in police custody.
Andrew was arrested on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plain-clothed officers gathering outside his home on his 66th birthday.
Sandringham Estate is one of the royal residences of Britain’s King Charles and Andrew moved to a property there last year after he was forced to give up his Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
The move came after an outcry when it emerged Andrew had been paying a peppercorn rent for the property.
Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrest this morning following allegations made against the former prince after the release of millions of pages of files related to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Thames Valley Police previously said the force was reviewing allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew, and claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as a trade envoy for the UK.
It is for the latter that Andrew has today been arrested and a spokesperson remarked that “following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office”.
Emails released by the US Department of Justice appeared to show Andrew sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
One email, dated November 2010, appeared to be forwarded by Andrew five minutes after being sent by his then-special adviser Amir Patel.
In another, on Christmas Eve 2010, he appeared to send Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service’s website, misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police said it was also looking at allegations Andrew’s protection officers turned a “blind eye” to his visits to Epstein’s island, Little St James.
After his time in Britain’s navy came to an end in 2001, the former duke was made a UK trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 and 2011.
In 2011, the Guardian reported that Andrew was made a trade envoy against the wishes of his older brother, Britain’s King Charles.
However, he had the support of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, as well the support of then-MP Peter Mandelson.
In February 2025, British prime minister Keir Starmer made Mandelson the UK ambassador to the US – Mandelson was sacked from this role last September over his ties to Epstein.
Mandelson was this month found to have “lied repeatedly” about his relationship with Epstein during the appointment process to the US ambassador role and he stepped down from the House of Lords.
British police are investigating allegations that Mandelson passed on market-sensitive information to Epstein when he was business secretary following the 2008 financial crisis.
During Andrew’s time as trade envoy, he travelled globally and enjoyed privileged access to senior government and business contacts.
While the role was unpaid, Andrew received claim expenses and was dubbed “Air Miles Andy” in the UK press for often using private jets for official engagements.
The Telegraph reported in 2011 that Andrew’s time as trade envoy cost the UK taxpayer some £15m (€17.17m) in expenses and police protection.
In 2010 alone, he spent £154,000 (€176,000) on hotels, food and hospitality and £465,000 (€532,000) on travel.
At the time of his appointment as trade envoy, an unnamed Labour MP said they “couldn’t believe it” and added: “It shows an appalling lack of judgment. I suppose there are some countries where his presence might impress, but he’s a liability.”
In 2010, during his time as trade envoy, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson was secretly recorded by a reporter posing as a businessman as being willing to accept £500,000 (€572,000) to provide access to Andrew.
She apologised and remarked at the time that her “financial situation is under stress” but added that this was “no excuse for a serious lapse in judgement”.
She said Andrew “was not aware or involved in any of the discussions that occurred”.
Andrew resigned as trade envoy in 2011 after pictures emerged of him with Epstein in New York’s Central Park in December 2010– Epstein had by that time been convicted as a sex offender.
During an infamous interview with Emily Maitlis on BBC’s Newsnight in 2019, Andrew said he did not “regret” his friendship with Epstein and remarked that it had “some seriously beneficial outcomes”.
"It was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do."
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 16, 2019
The Duke of York speaks to @maitlis about his links to Jeffrey Epstein and his decision to stay with him
MORE: https://t.co/c2rYXXMwcu#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/iajFWI2r1H
Andrew stayed at Epstein’s home during this visit to New York and claimed it was a “convenient place to stay” and added that he visited Epstein in order to say: “Look, because of what has happened, I don’t think it is appropriate that we should remain in contact.”
In recent years, Andrew has gone from a prince to a royal pariah.
Earlier this month, Prince William and Princess Kate said they were “deeply concerned by the continued revelations” surrounding Andrew and Epstein.
And having already been stripped of his Duke of York title, King Charles stripped his brother of his last remaining titles in December.
A spokesman said Charles had made clear his “profound concern” over Andrew’s alleged conduct.
Andrew is effectively no longer a royal, becoming a commoner after he was stripped of his titles.
He does, however, remain in the line of succession – he is eighth in line to the throne, having gradually moved down after being born second in line.
His arrest comes days after Buckingham Palace said it would “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims made against him.
In a statement today, Charles remarked that “the law must take its course” and added that he learned of the arrest ”with the deepest concern”.
He also offered his “wholehearted support and co-operation”
Andrew has for many years faced allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein – he strenuously denies the accusations.
He paid a reported £12m (€13.73m) to Giuffre to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.
It’s been reported in British media that the late Queen Elizabeth loaned her son Andrew around £7m (€8.01m) for the settlement, with another £3m (€3.43m) being drawn from the estate of the late Prince Phillip.
Meanwhile, further documents released last month as part of the so-called Epstein Files showed Andrew crouched over an unidentified woman.
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