Former UK Royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Arrested: A Timeline Of Controversies

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a former British Royal, has been taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Thames Valley Police confirmed they had arrested a man in his sixties on Thursday, without identifying him, in line with UK law.

The arrest followed a detailed review, and a formal investigation is now underway. Authorities are also looking into allegations that Andrew shared trade reports with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010.

Andrew, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been at the centre of scandals for decades. 

Prince Andrew: Controversies And Legal Troubles

• 1984 - In April 1984, 24‑year‑old Andrew was touring in California. During a stop, he picked up a paint sprayer being used at a renovation site and, while reporters and photographers watched, sprayed white paint toward them. Several journalists and their equipment were damaged. Andrew then wiped his hands on a newspaper and told an official, “I enjoyed that.”
• 2001 - Virginia Roberts (later Giuffre) claimed in court documents that she was forced by Jeffrey Epstein to engage in sexual activity with Andrew. All this while she was underage. The former Prince denied the allegations.
• 2006 - Andrew invited Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Harvey Weinstein to his private home, Royal Lodge on the Windsor Castle estate. This gathering occurred only two months after a US arrest warrant was issued for Epstein in connection with the sexual assault of a minor. Epstein was arrested eight days later.
• 2007 - Andrew sold his Sunninghill Park property near Windsor at a price reportedly above the market value. The buyer was linked to Timur Kulibayev, a wealthy businessman and the son‑in‑law of Kazakhstan's then‑president. 
• 2010 - Andrew visited Epstein in New York following the convicted sex offender's release from prison for sexually soliciting minors. Around the same time, allegations surfaced that he shared trade reports with Epstein.
• 2011 - A famous photo of Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Epstein emerged. Reports later suggested that at times he prioritised socialising with Epstein on his private island over family commitments.
• 2011 - Andrew stepped down as Britain's special trade envoy after scrutiny over his ties to Epstein and other controversial individuals. Media attention also focused on his links to Libyan figures, including Said Gaddafi.
• 2019 - July - Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges and later died in custody. Public attention turned to Andrew's alleged sexual misconduct with minors linked to Epstein.
• 2019 - November 16 - Andrew gave a televised interview with BBC reporter Emily Maitlis. In the hour-long programme, Andrew denied having sex with Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to him as a teenager, and offered explanations for his past interactions with Epstein. He also made comments suggesting that Epstein had been “useful” in giving him contacts, a remark that viewers found insensitive.
• 2019 - November 20 - Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew will suspend all public duties. Shortly after, he was removed from patronage for over 230 charities.
• 2020 - Anti-trafficking campaigns and public protests continued to show Andrew's association with Epstein.
• 2022 - January - Andrew was stripped of his military titles and stopped using the style “His Royal Highness.”
• 2022 - March - He settled a civil lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre in the US. The settlement acknowledged her suffering without Andrew admitting wrongdoing and reportedly amounted to $10 million.
• 2024 - Court documents brought to light Prince Andrew's relationship with a Chinese businessman who had been barred from the UK on national security grounds. The businessman was later identified as Yang Tengbo. He was excluded from the UK by the Home Office in 2023 after authorities concluded he had engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
• 2025 - February - Andrew reportedly sent Epstein Christmas cards in 2011-2012, contradicting his earlier claims of no contact after 2010.
• 2025 - October - Andrew reportedly met Cai Qi, a senior Chinese Communist Party figure who later became the top member of the CCP Secretariat and a close aide of President Xi Jinping. Andrew allegedly met the official at least three times. These meetings drew scrutiny because Cai was linked to a collapsed Chinese spy case. 
• 2025 - November - King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of all royal titles, including “Prince” and “His Royal Highness.” The formal action followed months of mounting scrutiny over Andrew's ties to Epstein and related controversies.