Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for misconduct in public office - The Times

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for misconduct in public office  The Times

Former Prince Andrew is the most senior British royal to have been arrested in modern times.

By Isabella Kwai

A timeline of former Prince Andrew's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, from the Virginia Giuffre lawsuit to his 2026 arrest

Prince Andrew in December 2023. Adrian DENNIS / AFP via Getty Images Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest follows years of public scrutiny over Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The pair were first linked in 1999, and the Epstein files showed their association lasted years. A member of the royal family was arrested at Sandringham Estate on Thursday morning. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was arrested at the royal home on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles said in a statement of the arrest that "the law must take its course" and that the authorities had the royal family's "full and wholehearted support and co-operation." Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any involvement with Epstein's sex-trafficking crimes. However, his relationship with Epstein has been under scrutiny for over a decade, as Virginia Giuffre named him in a lawsuit she filed against Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015. That scrutiny only intensified after the recent release of documents in the Epstein files. According to emails released, the former prince appeared to forward reports related to his work as UK trade envoy to Epstein in 2010 and 2011. Here's a timeline of Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to Epstein. 1999: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein reportedly met through Ghislaine Maxwell. Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck, and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in 2000. Davidoff Studios/Getty Images As the BBC reported, Ghislaine Maxwell introduced Epstein to Mountbatten-Windsor in 1999. The trio remained friends throughout the early 2000s, with Epstein and Maxwell attending parties at Windsor Castle and Sandringham. The three were also photographed together at events, including a 2000 party at Mar-a-Lago with Donald and Melania Trump and the 2000 Royal Ascot. Epstein and Maxwell were also photographed at Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party in July 2006, the BBC reported. In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18, and was sentenced to 18 months. Mountbatten-Windsor visited Epstein in New York in December 2010, just four months after Epstein's release. Mountbatten-Windsor said it was a "mistake and an error" to visit Epstein after he was convicted of the sex crime in a statement released by Buckingham Palace in August 2019. April 2015: Virginia Giuffre sued Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for defamation, naming Mountbatten-Windsor in the suit. Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, along with Ghislaine Maxwell. This photo was included in an affidavit where Giuffre claimed Prince Andrew directed her to have sex with him. Florida Southern District Court In 2015, Virginia Giuffre brought a defamation case against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, alleging that the pair had sex-trafficked her starting in 2000, when she was known as Virginia Roberts. Giuffre alleged that Epstein forced her to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor in his New York mansion, in London, and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands in 2001 when she was 17. However, the allegation was thrown out and struck from the record by a judge, who said it was "immaterial and impertinent to the central claim" in the case at the time. August 2019: Giuffre's allegations were made public when documents from the 2015 case were unsealed. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at he funeral of Britain's Prince Philip in April 2021. Chris Jackson/Pool via Reuters Further details about Giuffre's allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor were made public in 2019, after documents from the 2015 defamation case were unsealed. In the documents related to sex-trafficking charges against Epstein, witness Johanna Sjoberg told investigators about a sexual incident that she said happened, and involved herself, Maxwell, Mountbatten-Windsor, Giuffre, and a puppet of the prince. "Andrew and Virginia sat on the couch, and they put the puppet ... on her lap," Sjoberg was quoted as saying in the documents. "I sat on Andrew's lap, I believe on my own volition, and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast, and so Andrew put his on mine." Buckingham Palace denied Mountbatten-Windsor's alleged involvement with Giuffre in a statement at the time. "It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts," the palace's statement read. "Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation." August 2019: Giuffre said Mountbatten-Windsor "knows exactly what he's done" after the royal denied involvement in Epstein's sex-trafficking operation. Prince Andrew, left, and Jeffrey Epstein, right. AP/Sang Tan, Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Mountbatten-Windsor made a statement after Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, saying he sympathized "with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure." Mountbatten-Windsor added that during the time he knew Epstein, he did not witness or "suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction." Giuffre responded with a statement of her own. Speaking to reporters outside a Manhattan court at the time, she said the prince "knows exactly what he's done, and I hope he comes clean about it." November 2019: The then-prince stepped down from his royal duties days after a disastrous BBC "Newsnight" interview. BBC News/YouTube Discussing the allegations in a BBC "Newsnight" interview with host Emily Maitlis on November 16, 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor suggested that a photo appearing to show him with his hand around Giuffre's waist was fake. He also said during the interview that on the night Giuffre alleged they had dinner, partied at a club in London called Tramp, and later had sex, that he was at home with his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie. The interview was perceived negatively and labeled a "car crash" by much of the British media. Following the interview, a string of charities, businesses, and universities cut ties with Mountbatten-Windsor, and on November 20, 2019, the duke announced he would step back from his royal duties. "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support," Mountbatten-Windsor said in a statement. After saying that the Queen had given him her permission to step back from his duties, Mountbatten-Windsor said he continued "to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein." He added that he would be "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required." August 2021: Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor, accusing him of sexual assault. Virginia Roberts Giuffre at a press conference in 2019. Associated Press In a complaint filed at a New York federal court in August 2021, Giuffre said Mountbatten-Windsor was aware of her age and that she was a victim of sex trafficking when she was forced to have sex with him in 2001. "I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions," Giuffre said, via her lawyers, in a statement to ABC. January 2022: A judge denied Mountbatten-Windsor's motion to dismiss the case, and the Queen stripped him of his military titles and patronages. Prince Andrew, Duke of York & Queen Elizabeth II watch the horses in the parade ring as they attend Day 2 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2014 in Ascot, England. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Judge Lewis A. Kaplan denied Mountbatten-Windsor's motion to dismiss Giuffre's lawsuit on January 12, 2022, ruling that it was "denied in all respects," allowing the case to proceed to trial. The new ruling did not preclude the parties from settling before the trial. A day later, Buckingham Palace issued a statement announcing that Mountbatten-Windsor would face the lawsuit as a private citizen. "With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said in a statement sent to Business Insider. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen." Mountbatten-Windsor stopped using the HRH title in any official capacity after the removal of the patronages and military affiliations, a royal source told Business Insider. February 2022: Mountbatten-Windsor reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre. Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Prince Andrew, Duke of York attend the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images Mountbatten-Windsor settled with Giuffre on February 15, 2022, according to court documents obtained by Business Insider. Mountbatten-Windsor intended to make a "substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," the sum of which was not disclosed, according to a joint statement made in the court filing. The statement added: "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years." Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, just over three years after they reached a settlement. October 2022: Maxwell called Mountbatten-Windsor her "dear friend" in an interview. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell at the Royal Ascot in June 2000. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images In October 2022, The Mail on Sunday published an interview with Maxwell, who was imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, at the time after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking girls for Epstein. In the interview, she referred to Mountbatten-Windsor as her "dear friend" and expressed concern for him. "He is paying such a price for the association with Jeffrey Epstein," Maxwell said. "I care about him, and I feel so bad for him." Maxwell's comments contradicted those of Mountbatten-Windsor, who denied he was close to Maxwell during his legal proceedings with Guiffre. January 2024: Mountbatten-Windsor was named in unsealed court documents about Epstein. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in December 2023. Stephen Pond/Getty Images As part of a lawsuit between an Epstein accuser and Maxwell, a New York judge unsealed the names of more than 170 of Epstein's associates. Mountbatten-Windsor was among those identified in the documents, as were Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. The documents further undermined Mountbatten-Windsor's assertion that he wasn't close friends with Maxwell or Epstein, as the manager of Epstein's Palm Beach home, Juan Alessi, said in a 2009 deposition that the former prince spent weeks at Epstein's home and received "daily massages." In addition, Alessi said Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Mountbatten-Windsor, was also a close friend of Epstein. October 2025: Mountbatten-Windsor gave up his royal titles. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in September 2025. JORDAN PETTITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Mountbatten-Windsor tried to rehabilitate his image in 2024 and early 2025 and return to the public eye. Still, the continual release of new information about his relationship with Epstein made his attempts futile. On October 17, 2025, Mountbatten-Windsor announced he was giving up his royal titles. "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," the statement said. "I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life." "With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further," he went on to say. "I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me." The royal stopped being known as Prince Andrew after the announcement, going by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. January 2026: The Department of Justice released more Epstein files, including photos of Mountbatten-Windsor appearing to kneel over an unidentified woman. Prince Andrew has lost his royal titles following scandals involving Jeffrey Epstein and an alleged Chinese spy. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The January 30, 2026, drop of Epstein files included photos of Mountbatten-Windsor appearing to kneel over an unidentified woman, who was clothed and lying on the floor. It's unclear when or where the photos were taken. The files also include emails between Epstein and an account called "The Duke," who signs his emails "A," as well as exchanges between Epstein and Ferguson. February 2026: Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor leaves Aylsham Police Station the same day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February 2026. Phil Noble/Reuters On Thursday, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It was his 66th birthday. The former prince served as UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, and the Epstein files appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor forwarding emails with his official work reports to the disgraced financier in 2010 and 2011. "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," Oliver Wright, the assistant chief constable with the Thames Valley Police, 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." King Charles released a statement about the arrest on Thursday. "I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office," it said. "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. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation." "Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king's statement went on to say. "As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all." Police were photographed at Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor had been living, as well as his previous residence in Berkshire, on Thursday, carrying out searches of the properties. The police released Mountbatten-Windsor "under investigation" around 11 hours after his arrest, AP reported. He was photographed leaving the Aylsham Police Station in a car. Read the original article on Business Insider

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