Police on Friday (Feb 20, 2026) continued to search the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a day after the former prince was detained for 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office by late-convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for befriending him.
After one of the most tumultuous days in the modern history of Britain’s royal family, former Prince Andrew returned to his new home at Sandringham Estate, King Charles III’s private retreat, 115 miles (185 kilometers) north of London.
Police have ended their search there but are still searching Royal Lodge, his 30-room former home in the grounds of Windsor Castle, west of the capital.
Mountbatten-Windsor was pictured crouching in the back of his chauffeur-driven car after his release on Thursday evening (February 19, 2026) as he remains under investigation, meaning he has not been charged or deported by Thames Valley Police, which is responsible for areas west of London.
Years have passed since the arrest
His arrest follows years of allegations over his relationship with Epstein, who committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019. Central to his arrest is the allegation that Mountbatten-Windsor – known as Prince Andrew until October when his brother stripped him of his titles and honors – shared confidential business information with the disgraced financier when he was a UK businessman.
In particular, emails released by the US Department of Justice last month appeared to show Mountbatten-Windsor shared reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
One, dated November 2010, appears to have been forwarded five minutes after Andrew received it. Another few weeks later showed that he had sent Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Other police forces in the UK are also conducting their own investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor’s Epstein-related ties.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in its association with Epstein but has not commented on the latest allegations arising from the release of the so-called Epstein files.
Sudden arrest and trial will take time
Police entered the grounds of the Mountbatten-Windsor home at 8am on Thursday (February 19, 2026) – his 66th birthday – before taking him to a nearby police station for questioning.
Don’t know what he told them. He may have said nothing as his right, or “no comment”.
Experts say it is difficult to prove misconduct in public office.
“First, it must be established whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor held the title of public officer in government,” said Sean Caulfield, a criminal defense lawyer at Hodge Jones & Allen. “There is no standard definition for drawing clearly.” The Crown Prosecution Service will make the final decision about whether to charge him.
Grosvenor Law partner Andrew Gilmore said prosecutors apply a two-step test known as the “Code for Crown Prosecutors”. “That test is not based on the evidence but whether there is a more realistic possibility of conviction and whether the matter is in the public interest,” he said. “If these two tests are met, the matter will be charged and go to court.”
The arrest is not unusual, but historic
Baton-Windsor was the first royal Mountbatten-Windsor to be arrested since King Charles I nearly four centuries ago. It became a seismic moment in British history, leading to civil war, the beheading of Charles and the temporary abolition of the monarchy.
His arrest was undoubtedly one of the most serious crises to affect the House of Windsor since its founding over 100 years ago. Arguably, only the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 marked the end of the institution of the British monarchy in modern times.
It’s business as usual for the king
While the King and the Royal Family carry out their normal duties, questions surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor will continue as investigations are likely to take time.
In a statement on Thursday (February 19, 2026), King said “the law must take its course,” but “as the process continues, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the matter.”
The allegations are not related to Epstein’s sex trafficking
The allegations at trial on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026) are separate from allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Still, Giuffre’s sister-in-law Amanda Roberts said she was overjoyed when she got the 3 a.m. phone call telling her of the arrest. He said that he did. But those feelings of euphoria were quickly complicated by the realization that she couldn’t share her feelings of “vindication” with Giuffre.
“We can’t tell her how much we love her and that everything she’s going through is not in vain,” Roberts added through tears.
