Former Prince Andrew becomes first senior royal in almost four centuries to be arrested

On 19 February 2026, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor became the first senior British royal in nearly 400 years to be arrested, the last being Charles I in 1647. The 66-year-old was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following allegations that he shared confidential government documents with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The arrest comes after the release of over 3 million files linked to a US investigation into Epstein.