Highlights
- Thames Valley Police are now probing potential sex crimes against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- Police seek a woman allegedly taken to his Windsor home “for sexual purposes” in 2010
- Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday in Feb. 2026 and released under investigation
The scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has taken a significant turn, as British police confirm the criminal probe into the former royal now extends well beyond its original scope and could encompass potential sex crimes linked to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Thames Valley Police said the investigation is “examining a number of aspects of alleged misconduct” following the U.S. government’s release of documents relating to its investigation into Epstein.
“Our misconduct in public office investigation is continuing. Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation,” said Oliver Wright, assistant chief constable for Thames Valley Police.
The admission marks the first time police have publicly acknowledged that the probe could encompass sexual misconduct alongside the original charge of misconduct in public office.
Detectives are now hoping to speak with a woman who claims she was taken to his Windsor home “for sexual purposes” in 2010, while also appealing for other potential survivors of Epstein to come forward.
Investigators have reached out to the woman’s legal representatives and said the case would be “taken seriously and handled with care” should she wish to come forward.
A source close to the investigation offered context on the expanded scope. A source told Sky News that “misconduct” can cover factors including sex offenses and fraud, as well as finance-based crimes.
Thames Valley Police said they were also supporting other police forces nationally in contacting Epstein victims and survivors and appealed to anyone with relevant information to come forward. “Whenever they are ready to engage with us; our door is always open,” the statement said.
Police sources told The Times that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is set to face a wider investigation, including potential corruption offenses as well as an inquiry into alleged sex trafficking.
A police source put the legal challenge plainly. “The legal bar for Mipo (misconduct in public office) is high. There was always an issue over whether he was actually a public official at the time, whether he actually signed any papers. It’s not surprising that they are having to look at broader offences,” the source told The Times.
Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, following revelations about his relationship with Epstein. The 66-year-old has not been charged and denies all allegations of wrongdoing, and insisted he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior of which Epstein is accused.
His arrest landed on the same day as his 66th birthday, and he was held in custody for nearly 11 hours before being photographed returning to the royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England.
Emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice appeared to show the former Duke sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore. One email, dated November 2010, appeared to be forwarded by Andrew five minutes after being sent by his then-special adviser Amir Patel.
The scandal has roots stretching back years. In 2019, Virginia Roberts Giuffre filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court alleging that Epstein trafficked her to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17, thus a minor under U.S. law. Andrew repeatedly denied the allegations but settled with Giuffre out of court.
The accusations came roaring back when Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 and when her memoir, Nobody’s Girl, was posthumously published six months later.
In her memoir, Giuffre wrote of the then-prince that he was “friendly enough, but entitled — as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ties to the convicted paedophile eventually forced him to step down from his royal duties, and in January 2022, he was stripped of his royal patronages. He was then stripped of his remaining royal titles in October 2025 and was forced to leave his Windsor home, Royal Lodge, to relocate to a smaller privately funded address in Sandringham, Norfolk.
The police update came a day after the British government released documents indicating there was no evidence that Mountbatten-Windsor had been vetted prior to his appointment as the UK’s trade envoy in 2001.
King Charles III has kept his distance from the deepening controversy. King Charles previously said of the police investigation that “the law must take its course” following the arrest.
Virginia Giuffre’s family said in a statement that “our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
Spencer T. Kuvin, an attorney for Epstein’s victims, said the investigation may “restore some faith for those who believed justice was unreachable.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains under investigation. No charges have been filed.
