In the early-morning hours of Feb. 19, a fleet of unmarked vehicles descended upon King Charles III’s Sandringham Estate to arrest his younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) on suspicions of misconduct in public office. British authorities have been investigating Andrew, 66, over allegations that he shared confidential information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while he worked as a trade envoy for the U.K. between 2001 and 2011. Andrew was taken into custody and police conducted searches of his new Wood Farm home at Sandringham as well as his former residence Royal Lodge.
He was released from custody hours after his arrest and was pictured slinking down in the backseat of a car as he left Aylsham Police Station. The authorities told multiple outlets that the former Duke of York “has now been released under investigation,” meaning no charges were officially filed, nor has Andrew been cleared.
As shock waves rippled through the U.K., Charles released a personally signed statement saying he had learned the news of Andrew’s arrest (which took place on the former royal’s birthday) “with the deepest concern,” adding that the authorities have his support and “the law must take its course.” Us Weekly has learned that Prince William and Princess Kate support the king’s statement. A spokesperson for Charles said Buckingham Palace was not informed that the arrest was going to take place; after releasing his statement, Charles hosted guests at St James’s Palace and later attended an event to mark the start of London Fashion Week.
Andrew has become the first senior royal to be arrested in nearly four centuries. (If charged and convicted of misconduct in public office, he could face a potential life sentence.) “Without question, this is the biggest royal scandal in the last century,” says royal historian Gareth Russell. “They were all blindsided. No one was advised of his arrest ahead of time,” says a source, adding that Charles has not spoken with his brother.
The shocking turn of events came weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice released the latest batch of Epstein files containing more than 3 million pages of documents and photos that shed new light on the late sex offender’s dealings with both Andrew (who has denied all wrongdoing in connection to Epstein) and his ex-wife, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson. On Feb. 9, the BBC reported that an anti-monarchy group called Republic had filed a complaint with the Thames Valley Police claiming the tranche of new files showed that Andrew shared confidential information with Epstein.
The newly released correspondence reveals that Andrew and Ferguson, also 66, were much closer to Epstein — who died by suicide in 2019 in a New York City jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking — than they previously acknowledged. In October 2025, Charles, 77, stripped Andrew of his remaining royal titles and forced him out of Royal Lodge. (He moved into temporary accommodations at Sandringham in January.) Sources and royal experts tell Us Andrew’s and Ferguson’s reputations are irrevocably damaged. “There’s no real return to royal life,” shares the source, noting that the exes are “very much in survival mode.”
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There are far-reaching consequences for their daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, and, of course, the monarchy at large. “The monarchy depends on the trust, goodwill and affection of the British people. The Epstein case, and in particular Andrew’s involvement in it, has really stretched that bond to the breaking point,” says royal expert Christopher Andersen. Omid Scobie, co-author of the new novel The Royal Spin, tells Us Andrew’s history with Epstein proves “there was a lot more going on than we thought,” adding, “The British public have a lot of questions, and at some point, some of those questions need to be answered.”
David E. Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR and an expert in crisis communications, says even the reputation of the late Queen Elizabeth II will be affected by Andrew’s actions. “A lot of people will be saying, ‘Why didn’t she do more?’ This has been going on for a long time. She looked the other way.”
For William, 43, and Kate, 44, the scandal “reinforces their [approach of having] zero tolerance for reputational risk,” notes the source. “They are disgusted and appalled by what’s come out.” (They released a statement on Feb. 9 saying they’ve been “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” and “their thoughts remain focused on the victims.” Prince Edward also addressed his brother Andrew’s scandal at a royal engagement on Feb. 3, telling CNN, “It’s really important to remember the victims.”) Adds Johnson, “I expect we’ll see William and Kate really step up to the forefront and handle the crisis management.”
Historian Russell says Charles’ statement of support for law enforcement has been well-received and that even though it’s a bit “too little, too late, a lot of that is because he inherited this mess.” The first source said the monarch feels validated for distancing himself from his brother, adding that royal family members had “already started” doing so in the wake of the Epstein scandal. “No one has spoken to him since the latest batch of Epstein files were released.”
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While royal expert Kristen Meinzer notes that Charles has not distanced himself from Beatrice and Eugenie, Johnson tells Us he thinks that will change in light of Andrew’s arrest, and that they too will have their titles stripped. As for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Scobie says, “They have done everything they can at this point to have nothing to do with things back home.”
In his infamous 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis for BBC’s Newsnight, Andrew claimed he’d cut off the disgraced financier after visiting him at his NYC apartment in late 2010. (Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison in June 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor; he was released in July 2009.) The newly released files appear to contradict Andrew’s claim — he sent him holiday cards with photos of Beatrice and Eugenie in 2011 and 2012. The two men reportedly met through Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving her 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking at Federal Prison Camp, Bryan, in Texas.
Documents that were unsealed in late 2025 also show continued contact: Andrew emailed Epstein in early 2011 after a British paper published a photo of the royal with Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. “It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it,” Andrew wrote to Epstein. (Andrew repeatedly denied meeting and assaulting Giuffre; they settled out of court in early 2022. Giuffre died by suicide in 2025. In response to Andrew’s arrest, her family said in a statement that their “broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”) “It would seem we are in this together,” Andrew wrote to Epstein, adding, “keep in close touch, and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
While Ferguson called her relationship with Epstein a “gigantic error of judgment” in a March 2011 interview, the new files paint a picture of closeness. It’s revealed that she and her daughters had lunch with Epstein just days after he was released from prison in 2009, and she tells him in an email she was waiting for Eugenie, then 19, to return from a “shagging weekend” after Epstein invited her to NYC. “Fergie’s always been a messy royal, but a lot of that was fun, sexy, unfiltered or just plain stupid,” Meinzer tells Us. “It never involved her daughters. This feels different.”
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Ferguson also appeared to rely on Epstein for financial aid. In October 2009, Ferguson had begged the financier for money, telling him she “urgently” needed $27,521 “for rent.” In January 2010, she wrote, “I really don’t have the words to describe my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. I am at your service. Just marry me.” Months later, she suggested working for him. “[Why] don’t you just get me to be your House Assistant,” Ferguson inquired of Epstein. “I am the most capable and desperately need the money.” In a 2011 email to Andrew, Epstein informed him that he’d paid off a debt Ferguson owed to her longtime personal assistant, Johnny O’Sullivan. (She owed O’Sullivan $126,721.) That March, Epstein claimed in an email to a friend to have secretly bailed Ferguson out financially for 15 years.
Beatrice and Eugenie are “horrified, devastated and in a state of total shock” over their father’s arrest, says the first source. A second source tells Us their relationship with Andrew had already been “deeply changed” by his 2019 BBC interview, noting that Beatrice’s connection to her dad had always been more tenuous. “Beatrice is mortified,” the second source told Us following the Jan. 30 release of Epstein files. “It’s really affected her life. She’s hounded in the U.K.” (Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020; they share daughters Sienna, 4, and Athena, 13 months; Eugenie and her husband of seven years, Jack Brooksbank, share sons August, 5, and Ernest, 2.)
They are embarrassed by their mother’s missives to Epstein. “Fergie’s language made them feel exposed,” says the first source, adding that the sisters are “very united” and supportive of each other. Even before Andrew’s arrest, they had been setting boundaries with their parents. “[The latest release of Epstein files was] the last straw for them,” says the first source. “They don’t want to be associated with the scandal. They don’t spend a lot of time with Fergie and Andrew.” Meinzer says it’s telling that the sisters chose to spend Christmas with the wider royal family in Sandringham, rather than with their disgraced parents at Royal Lodge. “They’ve kept their distance publicly.”
The first source tells Us that Andrew and Ferguson had been acting “defensive, not reflective,” prior to Andrew’s arrest, adding, “They have a lot of shared resentment toward the media rather than any deep inward reckoning. Privately, there is regret, but it’s rarely said out loud.” (Ferguson’s whereabouts were unknown as of press time. A source told Us in December that the former duchess and Andrew had toyed with the idea of getting a fresh start in the Middle East, but the palace “was against it.”) The source adds that companies, like Netflix, that were once interested in working with Ferguson — who borrowed money from Epstein on many occasions — are not returning calls.
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“I’m sure Andrew is thinking, If only Mummy was still alive,” says Andersen, noting that the queen “did everything she could to shield her favorite son” prior to her 2022 death. “Andrew, in particular, has always had a sense of entitlement that was extreme even in royal circles. You got the sense he felt he could get away with anything — and he could, as long as he could run to the late queen for protection.” Adds Johnson, “There is no return whatsoever for either Sarah or Andrew, even if they’re not formally charged.”
As family members turn their backs on the former couple and their inner circle continues to shrink, Andrew and Ferguson are leaning on each other. “They are miserable,” the first source tells Us, “and misery loves company.”
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