Prince Andrew was arrested at his residence on Thursday—on his 66th birthday, no less—following weeks of damning revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Thames Valley Police confirmed they arrested a 66-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Officers were photographed arriving at Andrew’s home, and police said they were searching two addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The police, following national guidance, refused to officially name the arrested man. But they sent their statement in direct response to NBC News’ question about Andrew’s arrest, so the polite fiction isn’t fooling anyone.
Pressure has been building for weeks on the disgraced former prince—brother of King Charles III and son of the late Queen Elizabeth II—as new details emerged from the Epstein files about his yearslong relationship with the convicted sex offender and financier.
Earlier this month, Thames Valley Police announced they’d been consulting with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether a formal investigation was warranted. Apparently, they decided it was.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing connected to his Epstein ties, claiming only that he “regrets the friendship.” That defense has been wearing thin for years, particularly after his catastrophic 2019 BBC interview in which he claimed he couldn’t sweat and remembered a very specific trip to a Pizza Express in Woking.
The arrest marks an extraordinary fall for a member of the British royal family. Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages in 2022 and has been largely exiled from public royal life since his association with Epstein became a full-blown scandal.
The misconduct in public office charge—a serious offense under English law—suggests prosecutors believe Andrew may have abused his position as a senior royal in connection with his Epstein dealings.
This comes amid growing pressure to hold American officials at the highest level (ahem) accountable for their roles in the Epstein matter.
This is a developing story.