Why Was Andrew Arrested Now After Years Of Epstein Links? ‘Misconduct In Public Office’ Explained

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 18:53 IST

Andrew has long been associated with Jeffrey Epstein, even as he denied all wrongdoing and claimed that he broke off the relationship in 2010.

Former British Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid an ongoing probe into his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking a stunning fall from grace for the ex-royal who was stripped of his titles last year.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The force said it was “carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk". It is the first time the former prince, who has faced numerous allegations over this links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested.

Andrew’s arrest marks an unprecedented moment in Britain’s political history, as no other member of the UK’s royal family has been charged with misconduct of public office in the past. Meanwhile, King Charles III said he learned “with the deepest concern" of his younger brother’s arrest, and stressed that “the law must take its course."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said that Andrew was not above the law and suggested that he testify before the US Congress over his ties with Epstein.

What’s ‘Misconduct In Public Office’?

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), misconduct in public office refers to “serious wilful abuse of powers relating to the role in public office". It states there must be a direct link between the misconduct and an abuse of those powers or responsibilities without reasonable excuse or justification.

In a legal context, “wilful" abuse means “deliberately doing something which is wrong, knowing it to be wrong or with reckless indifference as to whether it is wrong or not." It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if the accused is proven guilty.

Prosecuting Andrew will be a challenge, as the police have to prove that he willfully misconducted himself while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. The CPS website states that there is no simple definition of a “public officer".

How Long Was Andrew Associated With Epstein?

Andrew has long been associated with Jeffrey Epstein, and this relationship led to the termination of his role as UK trade envoy after Epstein was jailed for sex offences. After Epstein was arrested for a second time in 2019, public attention turned towards the former prince after it was alleged that he had sex with at least one underage teenager trafficked by Epstein.

However, Andrew denied all wrongdoings and claimed that he broke off all contact with Epstein on December 2010. Outrage against Andrew escalated after an American woman, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, and she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025.

In her memoir ‘Nobody’s Girl’, published posthumously, Giuffre said Epstein and Maxwell exploited her when she was a minor and introduced her to Andrew in 2001, when she was 17, and he was 41. “He was friendly enough, but still entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright," she wrote.

Why Was Andrew Arrested Now?

In February 2022, Andrew agreed to settle a New York civil lawsuit filed by Giuffre, without agreeing to her sexual assault allegations. The former prince acknowledged that she had suffered as a victim of sexual abuse. While the settlement amount was undisclosed, legal experts estimate that it cost Andrew at least $10 million.

Last year, British newspapers revealed that Andrew sent an email to Epstein on February 28, 2011, more than two months after he had told BBC he had cut off all contact with the sex offender. After the revelation, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and honours, including the title of prince, and was asked to leave the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, where he had been living for over 20 years.

Millions of files released by the US Justice Department shed further light on Epstein’s connections with the rich and the powerful, including Bill Gates, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. However, the mere mention of names in the files do not automatically confirm any wrongdoing.

However, documents from 2010 appeared to show that Andrew forwarded reports on Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen to Epstein following official visits to Asia. Leaked emails from 2011 suggest that he may have shared other sensitive or confidential information, including investment opportunities, with the American financier.

Additional documents suggest Andrew invited Epstein to Buckingham Palace just a month after Epstein’s house arrest ended – claims that directly contradict Andrew’s 2019 interview, in which he said he met Epstein solely to end their association.

The arrest of the former prince came after Thames Valley Police said it was assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by Andrew with Epstein. The arrest also came amid mounting pressure on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who faced calls for resignation after it was found that the UK’s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, also had close ties with Epstein.

However, the specifics of the allegations being investigated by police are currently unknown, and it is also unclear where Andrew is currently being held. The Buckingham Palace has said it would support Thames Valley Police in their inquiries in connection with the matter.

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