London , 19 February (H.S.): In a stunning development, Britain's King Charles's younger brother, former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Thursday, February 19, 2026, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Authorities accuse him of leaking confidential government documents to the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a report in The Guardian, Thames Valley Police issued a statement following the arrest: As part of an ongoing investigation, we arrested a man aged over 60 from Norfolk today on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Searches are ongoing at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody. In line with national guidelines, we will not be naming the arrested individual.
Media outlets, including The Guardian, have identified the suspect as Prince Andrew Mountbatten. Reports indicate that earlier this month, Thames Valley Police confirmed an investigation into allegations that the former prince had handed documents to Epstein. These claims stem from files released by the U.S. government. Epstein, the convicted sex trafficker, died by suicide in a New York jail cell on August 10, 2019. This marks the first time Andrew has been arrested, an event coinciding starkly with his own birthday on this very day.
Although Andrew has repeatedly expressed regret over his friendship with Epstein, he has consistently denied any wrongdoing.The anti-monarchy group Republic lodged a complaint with police after the release of over 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents. These files reference instances in 2010 when Andrew allegedly sent reports from his official trips to Vietnam, Singapore, and other nations directly to Epstein.
Notably, Andrew Mountbatten lost his Prince title just last year. He was also forced to vacate Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle. This decision followed a weeks-long probe into his ties with Epstein. In response to mounting scrutiny over his personal life, Andrew relinquished additional royal titles, including Duke of York.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
