In an unprecedented move, a senior member of the British royal family has been taken into custody. Discover the journey of Prince Andrew, from his early days as a helicopter pilot to his controversial role as a trade envoy and his current status as a political outcast.
LONDON, UK — Once considered Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son, Prince Andrew has frequently been a source of concern for the British monarchy.
On his 66th birthday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday under suspicion of misconduct in public office. This arrest is part of an investigation linked to his association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first time a senior British royal has faced police detention in modern history.
Born in 1960, Prince Andrew was the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. While his older brother Charles was the heir apparent, Andrew followed a more traditional path for royal siblings, embarking on a military career.
Andrew’s history filled with royal riches
Andrew served 22 years in the Royal Navy and participated in combat operations as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War. In 2001, he was appointed as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment.
The ongoing police investigation is focused on his tenure in that role. Newly released documents from the Epstein files suggest Andrew may have shared official government documents with Epstein during his time as a trade envoy. While Andrew has not been formally charged with any crime, he has consistently denied any illegal activity related to his connections with Epstein.
Why was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested?
The current police investigation stems from that period. It follows documents in recently released Epstein files that suggest Andrew passed on official government documents to the late financier when he was a trade envoy. The former prince has not been charged with a crime. He has long denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links.
Mountbatten-Windsor was forced to step down from the trade role in 2011 amid growing concern about his friendship with Epstein, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Once a subject of media fascination for his love life, the man the tabloids dubbed “Randy Andy” became a regular source of headlines because of his money woes and links to questionable characters, including Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender.
After Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Andrew gave a disastrous interview to the BBC’s Newsnight program, in which he tried to explain away his contacts with Epstein. It backfired – he was widely criticized for giving unbelievable explanations and for failing to show empathy for Epstein’s victims.
Amid the backlash, Andrew announced on Nov. 20, 2019, that he was giving up public duties and charity roles “for the foreseeable future.”
In August 2021, one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, sued Andrew in a New York court, alleging that the prince had sex with her when she was underage. Andrew denied the allegations, but he was stripped of all military affiliations and royal charity work.
Andrew ultimately settled the case for an undisclosed sum. While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, Andrew did acknowledge Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41.
That was not the end of the story. After emails emerged last year showing Andrew remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously claimed, King Charles III stripped his brother of his princely title and other honors and his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Now he is also in police custody.
He remains eighth in line to the British throne.
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