Prince Charles III’s brother and former prince, Andrew, was arrested by UK police on the 19th on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police simultaneously searched several of his residences. The case is directly related to files disclosed from the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s case.
Andrew was released on the same evening after being held for several hours. Andrew is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The arrest of a royal family member is unprecedented in modern British history.
According to China News Service, UK police announced on the day that a male suspect in his 60s had been arrested, and searches were conducted of properties in Norfolk and Berkshire, investigating whether during his time as the royal trade envoy, he passed confidential government documents to Epstein. Police stated that the investigation would be fair and objective, and progress would be reported in due course. Although the suspect’s name was not officially released, the British media has confirmed his identity.
The day also happened to be Andrew’s 66th birthday. In 2019, Andrew resigned from all royal duties over his connections with Epstein. In October 2025, he was stripped of royal titles and honors by Charles III, and he now lives as a private citizen. Andrew has long denied any related misconduct, only expressing regret over his association with Epstein.
The US recently released over 3 million pages of files relating to the Epstein case, which show that in 2010 Andrew forwarded several official visit reports and classified information to Epstein. Relevant organizations filed reports to the police based on this, prompting the investigation.
UK police stressed that this investigation centers on accusations of misconduct in public office and is unrelated to previous civil settlements regarding sexual assault allegations. Under UK law, misconduct in public office is a serious crime, punishable by up to life imprisonment and prosecuted in criminal court. At press time, neither Buckingham Palace nor Andrew’s office had commented on the arrest; the royal family has previously said it would cooperate with police investigations, and the King is said to be deeply concerned by the allegations.