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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested at his home on the Sandringham estate on his 66th birthday.
The arrest relates to suspicion of misconduct in public office due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor is currently in custody after UK police arrived at the property in plain clothes in the early hours of Thursday morning local time.
The arrest follows the recent release of millions of documents from the Epstein files by the US Department of Justice.
The arrest has nothing to do with his treatment of women or his history with Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Mountbatten-Windsor has been facing accusations that he sexually assaulted Guiffre for many years, but he has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Why was he arrested?
British police said they arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office because of her connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
The investigation was sparked by the January 30 release of the latest Epstein document files, which revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor sent files to Epstein while working as the government’s trade envoy.
The revelation led to a police investigation into whether the former prince shared confidential information with Epstein.
Deputy Chief Constable Oliver Wright said on Thursday that police had launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office following a “thorough assessment”.
Thames Valley Police said: Berkshire and Norfolk He was wanted as part of the investigation.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
What is misconduct in public office?
The crime of misconduct in public office is related to intentional, serious abuse or neglect of the authority or responsibilities of the position.
The common law offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and dates back centuries in the UK.
It must be shown that the defendant was acting in an official capacity, that he willfully neglected to discharge his duties or committed misconduct, and that his conduct was so bad that it amounted to an abuse of public trust in the holder of the office.
There is a reasonable excuse for the exemption.
What are the former prince’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein?
The former prince has been under scrutiny for years over his ties to Epstein, but the latest release of files has brought new scrutiny to his work as UK trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor is accused of using her role as UK trade ambassador, a role she held for 10 years since 2001, to leak sensitive information to friends. He is accused of passing private briefings to outside sources, including Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but did not respond to specific requests for comment after the latest files were released by the US government.
Mountbatten-Windsor faced long-running accusations of sexually assaulting Virginia Roberts Giuffre and sending her to other women through Epstein’s network, which he denied.
Emails released last year show the former prince remained in contact with Epstein for months longer than previously claimed.
What was revealed about Mountbatten-Windsor in the Epstein files?
Epstein’s original episode includes Giuffre’s detailed allegations that she was forced to have sexual intercourse with the former prince. Mountbatten-Windsor always denied this.
The documents also revealed testimony from the second accuser, Johanna Sjoberg; Sjoberg said Mountbatten-Windsor groped her and made sexual advances towards her and Giuffre with a puppet that looked like him at a party at Epstein’s New York mansion in 2001.
Guiffre settled a civil case against Mountbatten-Windsor out of court in 2022, which involved her donating millions of pounds to charity; The crime was not accepted.
Virginia Giuffre committed suicide in April 2025. In her posthumous memoir, she repeated her claim that Mountbatten-Windsor sexually abused her when she was young. Mountbatten-Windsor denied Giuffre’s claims and said she did not remember meeting him.
A new tranche of the Epstein files released this year reveals that Mountbatten-Windsor sent files to Epstein while working as the government’s trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor passed to Epstein documents related to his trade missions to Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Afghanistan. It is not yet known whether these documents are confidential or not.
The 2026 tranche of the released files also included photos of Andrew appearing to be crouching over an unidentified woman lying on the ground on all fours.
Another set of documents in the latest release also appears to contradict Mountbatten-Windsor’s claims that she tried to end her relationship with Epstein.
The files show that his friend appeared more than happy to stay in touch with Epstein even though he was released from custody in 2010 after being convicted of having sex with an underage girl and serving time in prison.
What did the police say?
British police made a statement shortly after the former prince’s arrest. This comes after police said they were investigating a complaint about alleged sharing of confidential material with Epstein.
In a statement, police said a man in his sixties from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former prince’s name is not included in the publication.
The statement also reveals that Mountbatten-Windsor is currently in custody.
The statement continues to repeat this information and promise updates on the case.
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