UK police consider sex misconduct claims against Andrew
British police are appealing for witnesses as they try to expand their investigation into potential crimes committed by former prince Andrew, including sexual abuse.
Thames Valley Police issued a statement while updating journalists on its investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office by the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The force covers the area in west London where Mountbatten-Windsor lived for many years.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19 and held in custody for hours as police questioned her about allegations linked to her friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The arrest was an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to protect the royal family from embarrassment.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Police have previously said they were considering reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trading reports to Epstein in 2010, when the then prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.
Those reports were based on correspondence between the two men that became public when the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents related to its investigation into Epstein.
But detectives have renewed their appeal for witnesses amid concerns that the public believed they were only investigating allegations linked to trading reports, the British Press Association reported; whereas in fact misconduct in public office may apply to a much broader list of offences.
“Public office misconduct is a crime that can take many different forms, which complicates the investigation,” Deputy Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement Friday.
“Our team of highly experienced detectives is working diligently on a significant amount of information from the public and other sources.”
Misconduct in public office may include sharing confidential financial information, financial misconduct, willful dereliction of duty, and sexual misconduct.
This also includes corruption and improper interference, conflict of interest, perversion of the course of justice, dishonesty or fraudulent behavior or misconduct leading to personal gain.
Police said they were investigating “various aspects of allegations of misconduct” following the release of the US documents and were working with the Department of Justice to obtain additional information regarding the investigation.
Thames Valley Police also released an update on its investigation into allegations that a woman was taken to a venue in Windsor for sexual purposes in 2010.
“If she wishes to report this to the police, it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy,” police said in a statement.
Florida lawyer Brad Edwards told the BBC in January that he represented a woman who said Epstein sent her to England to have sexual intercourse with Mountbatten-Windsor at his home in Windsor in 2010.
King Charles III stripped his younger brother of his royal titles in late 2025 as he sought to distance the royal family from the fallout of the Epstein scandal.
These files showed how the wealthy financier used an international network of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women and girls.
Nine police forces in the UK say they are investigating possible wrongdoing regarding Epstein.
Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, was dismissed in 2025 after documents revealed that he had a longer and deeper relationship with Epstein than he had previously admitted.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
