article_detail

What was meant to be a birthday celebration turned into an unwelcome surprise for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as police arrested the former prince on Thursday February 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

 

Unmarked cars and plainclothes officers were spotted at his Wood Farm home on the Sandringham estate just after 8am, where he has been staying for nearly three weeks after leaving Royal Lodge in Windsor.

 

Thames Valley Police confirmed, “We have today (19/2) arrested a man in his 60s from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk. The man remains in police custody at this time.”

 

Norfolk police are assisting the investigation. The arrest follows US Department of Justice documents detailing Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

 

Misconduct in public office is a serious common law offence in the UK that applies when a public official wilfully neglects their duty or misconducts themselves to such a degree that it amounts to an abuse of the public’s trust, carrying a maximum life sentence. In Andrew’s case as UK trade envoy (2001-2011), it centres on claims he shared sensitive information with Epstein.

 

Emails reportedly show Andrew forwarding to Epstein official briefings on state visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, plus Helmand province (Afghanistan) reconstruction opportunities, sometimes just minutes after receiving them.

 

Thames Valley’s Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said, “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.”

 

Police are also reviewing claims of possible trafficking related to his time in office, but the core allegation here is abuse of position through mishandling official information. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.

 

He was stripped of his royal titles last October amid the Epstein fallout, and Buckingham Palace confirmed his move from Royal Lodge.

 

King Charles has said he is ready to help police, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today, “Nobody is above the law.”

 

 

The news hits close to home for those here in Spain, given Andrew’s long friendship with Spain’s disgraced ex-King Juan Carlos. The pair reportedly travelled together to Kazakhstan, where royal biographer Andrew Lownie says they received cash gifts and other favours. Juan Carlos, now exiled in Abu Dhabi after his own scandals, appears repeatedly in the Epstein files.

 

Former Spanish President José María Aznar (1996-2004) also features in the Epstein files, with Epstein sending packages to him at La Moncloa (Spain’s government headquarters) and later his FAES thinktank (his post-presidency policy group). His son José Aznar and son-in-law Alejandro Agag are listed too.

 

Back in 2020, Andrew cancelled a planned golf trip to Spain’s Costa del Sol amid Epstein investigations, reportedly worried about the risk of being arrested.

 

What is not widely known is that the Spanish royals and Windsors actually share deep family ties: current King of Spain Felipe VI called the late Queen Elizabeth ‘Aunt Lilibet’, and their houses trace a common lineage back to Queen Victoria.

 

Police can hold Andrew up to 96 hours, though most cases wrap in 12-24 hours. No charges have been brought yet, but search powers mean they can examine his phones, files and properties as part of their investigation. A former Met officer noted the pressure had been “growing and growing.”

 

 

Images: Archive