Britain’s Prince Andrew, formally known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was released from police custody on Thursday evening after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to allegations he shared confidential government documents with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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The 66-year-old royal, younger brother of King Charles III, was questioned throughout the day by detectives from Thames Valley Police before being released under investigation, the force said. A Reuters witness saw him leaving a police station in Aylsham, eastern England, appearing visibly shaken as he departed in a car.
Slumped in the back seat of his Range Rover, a visibly shaken man once referred to as the ‘Playboy Prince’ stares ahead of him as the car leaves Aylsham police station in Norfolk, England. The photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, taken by Reuters photographer Phil Noble, went…
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2026
Police earlier confirmed they had opened an inquiry into claims Andrew passed official reports to Epstein during his tenure as the UK government’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment. Files recently released by the US government allegedly suggested he forwarded travel briefings concerning Vietnam, Singapore and other destinations following official visits in 2010. Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing and has expressed regret over his association with Epstein.
In a statement, King Charles said he had learned of the arrest with “deepest concern” and emphasized that authorities had the royal family’s full cooperation. “The law must take its course,” the monarch said, while continuing public engagements in London. Buckingham Palace was not informed in advance of the arrest, officials said.
The unprecedented detention of a senior royal marks a new low in a long-running scandal that forced Andrew to step back from trade envoy duties in 2011 and withdraw from all public royal roles in 2019. He was stripped of military titles and patronages by his brother last year following further revelations about his ties to Epstein.
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Police searches were also conducted at residences linked to Andrew, including properties on royal estates. Investigators said the case involved complex legal questions surrounding the common-law offence of misconduct in public office, which carries a potential life sentence if proven in court.