Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested: In a historic first for the British Royal Family, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, February 19, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest took place on the former prince’s 66th birthday at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate. Thames Valley Police confirmed that a man in his sixties is currently in custody as they investigate claims that he shared confidential trade reports with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy.
A life under scrutiny: From ‘Randy Andy’ to royal outcast
The arrest comes after decades of headlines that went from youthful mistakes to serious criminal claims. Below is a timeline of the controversies leading to today’s police action.
Year | Key event
1984 | The Paint Incident: During a California tour, Andrew sprayed white paint on journalists and their equipment at a renovation site. He later told officials, “I enjoyed that.”
2001 | First Allegations: Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre) claimed in court documents that Epstein trafficked her to engage in sexual activity with Andrew while she was underage.
2006 | Royal Lodge Gathering: Andrew hosted Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Harvey Weinstein just two months after a US warrant was issued for Epstein.
2010 | Trade Envoy Leaks: Claims emerged (later backed by the 2026 “Epstein Files”) that Andrew shared sensitive government trade reports with Epstein while serving as a UK representative.
2011 | The Photo Emerges: A photograph of Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre was made public. Andrew later resigned as Britain’s special trade envoy.
2019 | The Maitlis Interview: A disastrous BBC Newsnight interview backfired when Andrew failed to show empathy for Epstein’s victims, resulting in the suspension of his public duties.
2022 | Loss of HRH Style: Andrew was stripped of his military titles and stopped using the style “His Royal Highness” before settling a multi-million-dollar US civil suit with Giuffre.
2024 | Chinese Business Ties: Court documents revealed Andrew’s connection with Yang Tengbo, a businessman later barred from the UK for national security reasons.
2025 | Title Stripping: In November, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of all remaining royal titles, effectively making him a commoner known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
2026 | The Arrest: After the release of three million pages of “Epstein Files” by the US DOJ, UK police launched a formal misconduct investigation, leading to today’s arrest.
Misconduct in public office: The current probe
The focus of the Thames Valley Police investigation centers on emails from November 2010.
Confidential briefs: Emails seem to show Andrew forwarding official trade reports on Southeast Asia to Epstein just minutes after receiving them.
Afghan investment: On Christmas Eve 2010, the former prince allegedly shared a confidential brief on investment opportunities in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
The penalty: In the UK, misconduct in public office is a common law offense that could result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Reaction from Buckingham Palace
While the Palace has not released a statement today, it previously indicated that it “stands ready to support” the police. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke about the situation on Thursday morning, telling BBC Breakfast, “Nobody is above the law.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
