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By Chronicle Staff with Agencies
LONDON — In a seismic escalation of the long-running Jeffrey Epstein scandal, British police on Thursday arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest, which occurred on his 66th birthday, marks the first time the Duke of York has been taken into custody in connection with his former role as a government representative.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that officers detained a “man in his sixties from Norfolk” early Thursday morning and are currently conducting searches at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk. While the force did not officially name the suspect, following standard U.K. protocol, the arrest was widely confirmed by the BBC and other major news outlets after unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate.
The “Trade Envoy” Allegations
The investigation focuses on explosive revelations contained in over three million pages of documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The files appear to show that during his tenure as the U.K.’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment (2001–2011), Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein.
Evidence reportedly includes a 2010 email in which the then-prince forwarded his official itinerary for a trade mission to Southeast Asia, including stops in Singapore, Vietnam, and China, to the convicted sex offender. Other documents suggest he shared a “confidential brief” on investment opportunities in Afghanistan, allegedly seeking Epstein’s “comments, views, or ideas” on whom to contact.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” said Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright. “It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense.”
The Palace and the Law
The arrest comes just over a year after King Charles III formally stripped his brother of his royal titles and military affiliations. Buckingham Palace has not issued a fresh statement regarding the arrest, but has previously indicated that the Royal Family stands “ready to support” police inquiries if approached.
The legal jeopardy for Mountbatten-Windsor is significant. Misconduct in public office is a common law offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Unlike previous civil allegations involving Virginia Giuffre, which the Duke settled out of court in 2022, this criminal probe targets his official conduct as a state envoy.
National Reaction
The news has reignited a fierce debate over accountability within the British establishment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking to the BBC, reiterated that “nobody is above the law,” while anti-monarchy group Republic, which originally filed the police complaint, called the arrest a “necessary step toward justice.”
As the former prince remains in custody for questioning, the “revolving door” of the Epstein files continues to shake international corridors of power, from the “Board of Peace” summits in Washington to the judicial chambers of London. For the House of Windsor, however, this birthday arrest represents perhaps the darkest chapter yet in the Duke’s fall from grace.