Police open investigation into misconduct in public office
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, Thames Valley Police said.
Here is the statement in full:
As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The man remains in police custody at this time.
We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: ‘Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.
‘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.’
Key events
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest comes days after Buckingham Palace said it would “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims made against him.
A spokesman for the Palace added that the King had made clear his “profound concern” over Andrew’s alleged conduct.
The King’s brother is effectively no longer a royal, becoming a commoner after he was stripped by the monarch of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein.
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.
Giuffre family: Mountbatten-Windsor arrest proves ‘no one is above the law’
Virginia Giuffre’s family have this morning said in a statement that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest shows that “no one is above the law”.
Giuffre was one of the most prominent victims of the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein who also alleged she had been sexually trafficked to Prince Andrew.
She took her own life in April 2025, aged 41.
The statement reads:
At last, today our broken hearts have been lifted with the news that no one is above the law – not even royalty.
On behalf of our sister, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police in their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.
What is misconduct in public office and what is the punishment?
According to the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) website, misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
It describes the offence as “a common law offence that can be tried only on indictment” and “concerns serious wilful abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office held”.
Providing its own update on the investigation into Epstein and his associates in the UK, the CPS said:
We are in close contact with the Metropolitan Police Service and Thames Valley Police regarding high-profile individuals.
We remain ready to support any police investigations if needed.
Meanwhile, Norfolk Constabulary has told BBC News that it is “supporting a Thames Valley Police investigation into misconduct in a public office”.
Before the arrest was announced, the prime minister told BBC Breakfast “nobody is above the law” when asked about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Keir Starmer added:
Anybody who has any information should testify.
So whether it’s Andrew or anybody else, anybody who has got relevant information should come forward to whatever the relevant body is, in this particular case we’re talking about Epstein, but there are plenty of other cases.
The partial release of the Epstein files by the US government has shifted the focus back to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in recent months.
Last October, amid growing anxiety within the royal household about the reputational risk to the monarchy caused by headlines concerning his friendship with Epstein, Buckingham Palace announced it would strip him of his royal titles.
It was also announced the former duke, who still remains eighth in line to the throne, would move out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The anti-monarchy pressure group Republic has welcomed the news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, it said in a statement this morning.
Republic’s CEO Graham Smith said the arrest was “likely influenced by Republic’s pursuit of a private prosecution”, which saw it provide Thames Valley Police with a crime report.
Smith said:
Make no mistake, this is a result of Republic’s action. We reported Andrew to the police when others were unwilling to act. Republic has been instigating a private prosecution when the police were reluctant to investigate.
Republic’s lawyers will continue to investigate related alleged offences and provide information to the police over the coming weeks and months.
He added:
The police must follow all evidence wherever it leads.
In the meantime, Charles and William need to speak up and admit to whatever they have known.
A poll carried out by the group earlier this month showed support for the monarchy at 45%, with a third of respondents preferring an elected head of state.
You would have to go as far back as King Charles I to find the last senior member of the British royal family arrested prior to today’s developments.
Charles was arrested in 1647 during the English Civil War by forces aligned with parliament, including the New Model Army.
He was detained and later tried for high treason after refusing to accept limits on royal authority, leading to his execution in 1649.
Andrew’s sister Princess Anne – who is scheduled to visit a prison in Leeds today – was convicted and fined under the Dangerous Dogs Act in 2002 after her dog bit two children. However, she was not arrested in relation to the offence.
Mountbatten-Windsor first senior royal in modern history to be arrested
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is the first senior royal in modern history to be arrested.
The police raid follows emails released by the US Department of Justice that appeared to show the former duke sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
One email, dated November 2010, appeared to be forwarded by Mountbatten-Windsor five minutes after being sent by his then-special adviser Amir Patel.
Another, on Christmas Eve 2010, appeared to send Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand province, Afghanistan.
What we know so far
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by police investigating the former prince’s dealings with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Photographs of unmarked police cars and plainclothes officers at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate just after 8am were published on Thursday.
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A statement from Thames Valley police said: “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. The man remains in police custody at this time.”
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The arrest came as Mountbatten-Windsor celebrated his 66th birthday at home.
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Police had been assessing allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly known as Prince Andrew – shared sensitive information with the billionaire child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was a UK trade envoy.
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Oliver Wright, Thames Valley Police’s assistant chief constable, said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest was carried out as he was celebrating his 66th birthday.
The arrest came after pictures circulated online appearing to show unmarked police cars attending Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers appearing to gather outside his home.
Photos show police raiding Royal Family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk
Here are some of the first pictures that show police arriving at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Wood Farm residence, on the Royal Family’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Police can be seen talking after turning up in unmarked police cars.
Police open investigation into misconduct in public office
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, Thames Valley Police said.
Here is the statement in full:
As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The man remains in police custody at this time.
We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: ‘Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.
‘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.’
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested at Sandringham home
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Photographs of unmarked police cars and plainclothes officers at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate just after 8am were published on Thursday. A statement from Thames Valley police said: “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.
“The man remains in police custody at this time.”
Police have been assessing allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly known as Prince Andrew – shared sensitive information with the billionaire child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when he was a UK trade envoy.