Former Prince Andrew has been arrested at his temporary home, the Sandringham estate, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to reports. The Thames Valley Police said in a statement on Thursday that they had arrested a man in his sixties, not naming the ex-royal, as is normal under UK law.
“We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance,” the statement said.
The Thames Valley Police said that he was arrested after “thorough assessment”, and an investigation has now been opened, the BBC reported. The cops also revealed that they were “assessing” reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had sent trade reports to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010.
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” the statement said. “It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.
Earlier in the morning, six unmarked police cars and around eight plainclothes officers were seen arriving at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, Reuters reported.
His arrest comes on the morning of his 66th birthday.
Former Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent, Dal Babu, told BBC that by arresting Andrew, police will be able “to access computer equipment, files, photographs, any other evidence”. He added that searches can be carried out on any premises he owns, occupies or controls.
UK PM Keir Starmer On Andrew Allegations
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today that “nobody is above the law”. Speaking on BBC breakfast, he said, “Anybody who has got information relating to any aspect of violence against women and girls has, in my view, a duty to come forward, whoever they are.”
He added, “One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law, and nobody is above the law, and it is really important that is applied across the board.
Ex-Prince Andrew’s Epstein Links
Pressure had been mounting on the former prince and his relationship with Epstein after three million pages of unseen emails, documents and pictures from the Epstein Files were released. Disturbing photos of him on all fours, touching a clothed woman’s waist and stomach, were also part of the release.
Reports surfaced of Andrew knowingly sharing confidential information with Epstein about his official work as a trade envoy in 2010 and 2011. The recent batch of Epstein Files shows that Andrew passed on reports of his visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam. He also shared confidential information about investment opportunities.
In 2025, his brother, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his royal titles due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Virginia Giuffre, a trafficking victim of Epstein, alleged that Andrew had sex with her when she was 17. Within weeks of Giuffre’s book being published, King Charles III stripped Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence.
Andrew has long denied Giuffre’s claims but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations. He paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York. While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.