Live updates: Former Prince Andrew arrested by British police

Britain’s King Charles III was greeted by cheers, as well as shouted questions about his younger brother, as senior royals pressed on with pre-planned public engagements on Thursday.

“What’s your reaction to your brother’s arrest, sir?,” a journalist could be heard shouting as the monarch arrived at London Fashion Week.

Charles, who earlier put out a statement expressing his “deepest concern” at the news of his brother’s arrest, did not acknowledge the question as he greeted well-wishers before heading inside.

Queen Camilla also faced questions as she arrived for an engagement at a London arts venue.

She waved to the cameras but did not respond to a journalist who shouted, “Are you concerned about Andrew’s arrest, Your Majesty?”

While politicians in the U.K. commonly face shouted questions from journalists, the tactic is usually much less common at royal events. Senior royals, usually greeted by cheering crowds, have in recent years faced occasional heckles from members of the public relating to Mountbatten-Windsor.

Compared to the United States, the U.K. has tight reporting restrictions that apply from the moment an arrest is made, in the run-up to and during possible criminal trials.

These are aimed at stopping the publication of information that could prejudice a potential jury.

In the statement about former Prince Andrew's arrest, the Thames Valley Police warned members of the media to take care with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.

Britain's rules about what can be reported around active criminal cases come from the 1981 Contempt of Court Act, which imposes restrictions on any publication that could create a “substantial risk that the course of justice in the proceedings in question will be seriously impeded or prejudiced.”

The arrest of former Prince Andrew is the worst crisis to hit the British monarchy since the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, Ed Owens, an author and royal historian, told NBC News.

“This is much more severe than the immediate aftermath of the [Princess] Diana crisis in 1997 following her death,” Owens said. “It’s definitely more severe than 1992, which was the so-called Queen’s annus horribilis, which pales in comparison to what is going on now. And then, we've got to go further back in time again to discussions around Princess Margaret’s private life, and going further back again to the abdication crisis in 1936.”

The abdication King Edward VIII in order to marry U.S. divorcee Wallis Simpson shook the foundations of the monarchy, Owens added, undermining confidence in the royal family among large swaths of the public.

“I think this is the most serious scandal, probably since the abdication,” he said.

Richard Pohle / WPA Pool via Getty Images

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Britain's King Charles III on the first day of London Fashion Week at NewGen 180 The Strand in central London today.

Former Prince Andrew was widely believed to be late Queen Elizabeth II's favorite among her four children.

Nevertheless, the queen stripped her second son of military titles and patronages as the scandal around his ties with Jeffrey Epstein grew in 2022. The move was seen as a brutal and humiliating exercise in damage limitation.

As the allegations continued to mount after the queen’s death, King Charles III went further and stripped his brother of his royal titles and residence. 

The then-Prince Andrew sat down for an in-depth interview with the BBC's "Newsnight" in 2019 to address his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — a bold and rare move aimed at clearing his name.

Instead of revamping his public image and stamping out talk of his ties to the late convicted sex offender, the interview did the exact opposite. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was ridiculed by the British media, criticized for defending his friendship with Epstein and accused of failing to convey empathy for Epstein's victims.

Commentators particularly pounced on Mountbatten-Windsor's claim that he had stayed at Epstein's New York home in 2010, which was after Epstein served time for soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution, in order to end their friendship.

"I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable, but that’s just the way it is," he said in the BBC interview.

In 2024, Netflix released a movie about the behind-the-scenes story of the interview called "Scoop."

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green criticized President Donald Trump and U.S. authorities in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

“The UK has arrested Andrew because of the Epstein files and over here the President signed an EO protecting cancer causing Glyphosate in our foods and we have zero Epstein related arrest and investigations since release of the files,” she said in a post on X. “And we are on the verge of going to war against Iran.”

“That’s the current state of MAGA and MAHA,” she added.

Greene was one of Trump and the MAGA movement’s most outspoken supporters before she began to break with the president on some issues, including the release of the Esptein files. Greene resigned from office in January.

Former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, police said, but it is complicated to define.

There are four elements for the offense to be considered committed, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, an independent body that prosecutes criminal cases investigated in England and Wales.

Investigators would have to establish that a suspect was serving as a “public officer” when the alleged offense was committed. Secondly, they would need to be evidence that the suspect “willfully” neglected to perform their duties and/or willfully misconducted themselves.

The fact that the former Prince Andrew was arrested “would suggest there is significant evidence,” according to a former chief inspector at London's Metropolitan Police force.

“This is massive,” Dal Babu told NBC News’ British broadcasting partner Sky News. “You don’t have to arrest someone who you are investigating. You can ask them to provide a written statement through their lawyer. You can invite them to a police station without arresting them.”

Police officers near the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Norfolk, England today.  Peter Nicholls / Getty Images

Investigators can now “search any properties that are owned, controlled or under the control, so there would be the opportunity once the arrest has been made to search multiple locations.”

He added they could be searching for physical files and electronic devices like laptops and mobile phones. 

King Charles stripped his younger brother of his royal titles last year following growing pressure over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor was no longer permitted to call himself a prince and was forced to stop using some of his other titles, including the Duke of York. The king also forced him to leave his home at the Royal Lodge, close to Windsor Castle.

Calls for Charles to do so came to a crescendo following the publication of late Epstein survivor Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s posthumous memoir in October, which detailed already-made allegations against Andrew.

Princess Kate and Prince William, the heir to the British throne, fully support the king's statement following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, an aide to the prince and princess of Wales told NBC News.

King Charles III earlier expressed his “deepest concern” at the news.

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities,” his statement read in part.

Princess Kate and Prince William in Windsor, England in 2025. Alberto Pezzali / Getty Images file

King Charles III today welcomed El Salvador’s Ambassador Francisco Lima Mena at St. James’ Palace, London’s senior royal palace, as part of a series of audiences.

King Charles III and El Salvador’s Ambassador Francisco Lima Mena today. Yui Mok / AFP via Getty Images

The former Prince Andrew has consistently denied allegations against him in relation to Jeffrey Epstein.

Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Fla., in 2000. Davidoff Studios / Getty Images

In an October statement announcing that he would give up his Duke of York title amid increased media scrutiny, Andrew stated: “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has not responded to multiple requests for comment from NBC News, including after his arrest today.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law said it was "surreal" to wake up to the news of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest today.

"It's a very proud moment for us," said Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts. He called the charges against Mountbatten-Windsor the "first step."

"I think there's so much more that needs to be done here," he said. "I'm hoping they conduct a full investigation and there's a conviction of some sort."

Former Prince Andrew arrest is a ‘first step,’ Virginia Giuffre family says

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Roberts also praised King Charles III for his statement about the investigation.

"I want to continue to commend the King, because what a hard thing to do, to have to come after your own family member," he said. "But I know that what he knows is it’s the right thing to do.”

King Charles and Buckingham Palace were not informed in advance of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, a palace official told NBC News.

The former prince is in custody after being arrested earlier today on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Police drive in convoy after detaining Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at Sandringham, a royal household, this morning.

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Rasid Necati Aslim / Anadolu via Getty Images

Rasid Necati Aslim / Anadolu via Getty Images

Britain’s Queen Camilla is seen leaving Sinfonia Smith Square Hall, of which she is a patron, in London today.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on the day he turned 66 years old. He remains in police custody, according to investigators.

The family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who had alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, issued a statement saying their "broken hearts have been lifted."

Virginia Giuffre (then Roberts) with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell.

"On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the Thanes Valley Police for the investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor," the family's statement said. "He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you."

Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew in 2021 alleging that the former prince sexually abused her when she was 17.

Mountbatten-Windsor has denied having had sex with Giuffre. He stepped back from active royal duties in 2019 amid the controversy and reached a legal settlement with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount in 2022.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today that “nobody is above the law” when asked about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, speaking ahead of the royal's arrest this morning.

Starmer told British public broadcaster the BBC the principle was “very important” and “has to apply in this case in the same way it would in any other case.”

Starmer said that if British lawmakers in Parliament wanted a debate on Mountbatten-Windsor's links to Epstein, he “wouldn’t stand in the way.”

King Charles III has today expressed his "deepest concern" at the news of his brother's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Prince Andrew and King Charles III in London in September 2025. Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty Images file

In a statement released by Buckingham Palace this morning but signed "Charles R," the monarch pledged his full support for the police probe.

The statement reads:

"I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities."

"In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all."

The arrest of the former Prince Andrew is “an awful day for the evolution of an institution that has lasted over a thousand years and has sought at its heart to be of service,” a leading royal commentator tells NBC News. 

“You can’t avoid this being the most horrifically embarrassing day, sad day, shocking day for the British crown to have a former prince of the blood arrested and to have him arrested and to answer questions on a charge that is pretty serious,” Alastair Bruce told NBC News British partner Sky News. 

King Charles III “has had a short reign so far and its been clobbered by now two things, first of all his diagnosis with cancer and now the horror of today with his brother at the center of these accusations,” he said.

“I think that for the king, he feels that he really must do his bit and fulfill the expectations that people make of him.”

The arrest of former Prince Andrew today is unprecedented for the British monarchy, royal historian and author Sarah Gristwood told NBC News.

"I can’t think of anything like this in modern times," Gristwood said.

During the Tudor and Stewart periods of the British history spanning from the 15th to the 18th centuries, plenty of royals, even monarchs, were thrown in prison but on clearly political grounds, not criminal charges, Gristwood said.

"It is the first age in which someone who was very recently a senior royal could be treated like any other common criminal," she added.

Police today arrested the former Prince Andrew after weeks of revelations over the former prince's friendship and dealings with convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The Thames Valley Police said it arrested a man in his 60s on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment in the United Kingdom.

A man steps out of an unmarked car at the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Sandringham, Norfolk, today. Peter Nicholls / Getty Images

The force, which covers an area in southern England where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, did not name him, as is standard practice under British law.

Asked whether Mountbatten-Windsor had been arrested, the police responded with a statement: “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said. “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.”

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