Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew of the British royal family, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sharing confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a trade envoy.
In an email from October 2010, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to forward official envoy reports from his trips to Southeast Asia to Epstein. Another email shows a “confidential brief” on “investment opportunities” in Afghanistan, which he sent to Epstein, whom he referred to as “J.”
If convicted of misconduct in public office, Mountbatten-Windsor could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. King Charles III expressed his “deepest concerns” over the arrest of his younger brother, promising his family’s “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities,” Charles said in an official statement. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer shared the king’s sentiments, telling the BBC he “wouldn’t stand in the way” of a debate on Mountbatten-Windsor’s ties to Epstein.
“They will conduct their own investigations,” Starmer said. “One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law.”
The former royal appeared in numerous emails and photos released by the Department of Justice as part of the Epstein files. Late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor trafficked and sexually abused her for years. The fallout from the recent release of the files led to him being stripped of his royal titles in October 2025 by Charles III.
Giuffre’s family responded to news of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, saying “he was never a prince.”
“At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” her siblings said in a statement to CBS. “On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the U.K.’s Thames Valley Police.”
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Meanwhile, the arrest has brought calls for accountability in the United States. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., renewed his calls for Mountbatten-Windsor to testify before Congress.
“He appears repeatedly in the documents we have uncovered as having knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and is specifically named by victims as someone who engaged in wrongdoing,” Subramanyam said in a statement. “Yet he has continued to ignore our calls to cooperate with the Oversight Committee’s investigation. We hope today’s arrest will lead to answers and show that there will be accountability even if you hide, regardless of how rich and powerful you are.”
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