Feb. 19, 2026

BREAKING NEWS Prince Andrew Arrested on 66th Birthday in Misconduct Probe Linked to Epstein

Show Notes
Transcript

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in what may be one of the most extraordinary moments in modern royal history. Police vehicles were seen at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate as Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrest of a man in his 60s from Norfolk, with searches under way in Berkshire and Norfolk. BBC News reports Andrew remains in custody.

The arrest follows renewed scrutiny over millions of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein and focuses on allegations that confidential, potentially market-sensitive government information may have been shared during Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, and no charges have been brought.

With the National Crime Agency now involved and commentators noting the unprecedented optics of the King’s brother in police custody, constitutional questions are resurfacing. The charge of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, though an arrest is not evidence of guilt. As Prime Minister Keir Starmer says “nobody is above the law,” the monarchy faces one of its most serious crises in decades.

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Calorougus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue. I

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am your host Mark Francis with breaking news. Andrew Mountbatten

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Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office,

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in what is being described as an unprecedented moment in

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modern royal history. Police vehicles were seen arriving at Wood Farm,

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the five bedroom farmhouse within the Sandryham estate in Norfolk

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where Andrew has been living. The arrest took place on

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his sixty sixth birthday. Thames Valley Police confirmed, as part

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of the investigation, we have today arrested a man in

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his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public

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office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire

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and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody at this time.

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The force said it recognized the significant public interests and

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would provide updates when appropriate. Although British WHI Police did

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not name the suspect, the details match what is publicly

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known about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. BBC News understands he was

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arrested earlier this morning and remains in custody. The arrest

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follows weeks of intensifying scrutiny after the release in January

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of millions of documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Thames Valley

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Police had previously confirmed it was assessing a complaint concerning

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alleged misconduct during Andrew's tenure as the UK's trade envoy.

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The focus of the arrest appears to be allegations that confidential,

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potentially market sensitive government information was shared with Epstein and

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his associates. According to reports on the newly released files,

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emails suggest Andrew forwarded official reports about overseas trade visits

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while serving in his envoy role between two thousand and

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one and twenty eleven. Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied

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any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and has not responded

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to fresh requests for comment following the latest developments. Former

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Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent dhal Barbou told the BBC that

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an arrest follows investigators to seize and examine computer equipment, files,

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photographs and other materials. Police can also search any premises owned,

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occupied or controlled by the suspect. Searches are now underway

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at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk Police commentator Danny Shaw

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said a suspect can be held for up to ninety

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six hours, though this requires extensions authorized by senior officers

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and a magistrate. In most cases, suspects are held for

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twelve to twenty four hours before being either charged or

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released pending further investigation. There is no indication of special treatment.

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The charge of misconduct in public office carries a maximum

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sentence of life imprisonment under Crown Prosecution Service guidance. Although

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Andrew has not been charged and an arrest is not

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evidence of guilt, the involvement of the National Crime Agency

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monks of further escalation. The NCAA typically handles serious and

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organized crime, including complex international investigations. Its participation alongside multiple

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police forces reviewing Department of Justice material connected to Epstein

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indicates the inquiry has moved into a coordinated national phase.

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Royal correspondent Shawn Coughlin described the arrest as difficult to find.

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Precedent for the image of the King's brother, and police

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custody stands in stark contrast to the privileges he once held.

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Andrew's public fall from grace has unfolded over several years

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in twenty nineteen, he stepped back from public duties following

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his BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with Epstein. In

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twenty twenty two, he settled a civil lawsuit brought by

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a Virginia Jeffrey in the United States for an undisclosed

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PSALM after she alleged sexual abuse when she was seventeen.

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He did not admit liability and has repeatedly denied her accusations.

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Late last year, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles

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and ceased receiving sovereign grand funding. Buckingham Palace previously said

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that if approached by police, it would cooperate fully. Ten

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days ago, King Charles had issued a statement indicating he

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supported and would cooperate with a police investigation into his brother.

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There has also been renewed scrutiny of the twenty twenty

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two settlement with Geoffrey, reported to total approximately fourteen million dollars.

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Palace sources have denied claims that the King personally contributed

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two million dollars toward that settlement, maintaining that Andrew misled

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the family. Critics argue that any suggestion senior royals were

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unaware of the circumstances would be difficult to reconcile with

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the scale of the payment. Responsibility for aspects of the

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settlement has at times been attributed to the late Queen

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Elizabeth the Second, though she was seriously ill at the

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time and died shortly afterwards, or palace in just a moment.

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Some commentators have speculated whether Andrew might attempt what is

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informally known as the Paul Bureau defense. In two thousand

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and two, the former butler two Princess Diana faced trial

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over alleged theft, which collapsed after Queen Elizabeth the Second

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stated he had informed her he was safeguarding items. Where

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Andrew to claim that his actions had been known to

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or sanctioned by the monarch, it could raise complex constitutional questions.

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There is no indication he has taken such a step.

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Prime Minister kirs Stamer said that nobody is above the law,

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emphasizing the principle applies in this case as in any other.

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Our royal insider Deep Crown tells us I have been

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waiting for this day with a mixture of grim satisfaction

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and profound sorrow. Grim satisfaction because the rule of law

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has finally caught up with a man who has spent

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decades believing his birth certificate was a permanent exemption from accountability.

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Profound sorrow because this is, at its core, a family

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tragedy playing out on the world stage, and the institution

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suffers every moment it remains in the headlines. Let us

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be precise about what has happened here. Andrew was not

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arrested for his association with a convicted sex offender, though

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heaven knows that alone should have ended his public life

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years ago. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in

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public offer for allegedly using his position as a Crown

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Trade envoy to feed confidential state information to Jeffrey Epstein.

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That is not a scandal, That is, if proven, the

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betrayal of the realm itself. What strikes me most is

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the timing his sixty six birthday. Whatever the operational reasons

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for today's arrest, history will record that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor

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was taken into custody on his birthday, living in his

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brother's house, stripped of his titles, a ghost of an

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institution that has spent years trying to forget he exists.

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Significant questions remain unanswered. Police have not set out the

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precise details of the alleged misconduct, what specific evidence prompted

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the arrest at this stage, or whether Andrew has been

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interviewed under caution. For now, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor remains in

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police custody. The investigation is active and ongoing, and no

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charges have been brought. We'll follow up later today with

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additional information as this story develops. By Mark Francis My

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thanks to dem It. This is breaking news from Palace Intrigue.