UK - (Former prince) Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office, 19 February 2026

[KBlackRabbit]

Buckingham Palace has not commented since the publication of the Epstein files thrust former Prince Andrew’s relationship with the late sex offender back into the spotlight. However, Prince Edward has now become the first royal to publicly address the release of the files in comments made at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.

"Well, with the best will in the world, I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that,” Edward began when questioned on the Palace’s response to the Epstein stories that have been “dominating the headlines” by CNN correspondent Eleni Giokos. Edward continued, “They all came here to listen to education, solving the future. But no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in this.”

Prince Edward Becomes the First Member of the Royal Family to Comment on the Epstein Files​

Edward’s older brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor features heavily in the files.

www.townandcountrymag.com
A new set of emails reveals that King Charles III of the British family was aware of the “secret deals” of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and David Rowland, reported the Daily Mail. Andrew had told Epstein that Rowland was his “trusted money man”. Former Prince Andrew has been accused of passing on potentially confidential and sensitive documents to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

King Charles III was warned about Prince Andrew’s “secret deals”​

A new tranche of emails obtained by The Daily Mail suggests that King Charles III was warned in 2019 about Prince Andrew’s alleged financial ties to David Rowland. Andrew was later arrested and released.

www.wionews.com

2019 is when he suspended his public duties and stepped down from his patronages, probably at Charles’ insistence.

It was a month after QEII died that the hammer started to drop; Andrew had his personal protection taken away and he was booted from Buckingham, among other things. Poor Charles, wanting to get rid of Andrew but hamstrung for years by his mummy.

Smart move deploying Edward to make a comment (he wouldn’t have said anything without the green light from the throne). He and Sophie are so underrated.

 

[Yellowbelly]

Tbh some of those reasons are stupid imo

Probably made rather more sense in 1351!

 

[JDG]

Maybe the well-off sons-in-law are paying? (possibly under pressure from their wives.)

I didn’t think Eugenies husband came from money, he tended bar didn’t he?

 

[KBlackRabbit]

Eugenie’s husband has money. Came from a rich family with some residual aristocrats in the line. He has the kind of jobs trust fund babies get.

 

[Elley Mae]

2019 is when he suspended his public duties and stepped down from his patronages, probably at Charles’ insistence.

It was a month after QEII died that the hammer started to drop; Andrew had his personal protection taken away and he was booted from Buckingham, among other things. Poor Charles, wanting to get rid of Andrew but hamstrung for years by his mummy.

Smart move deploying Edward to make a comment (he wouldn’t have said anything without the green light from the throne). He and Sophie are so underrated.

Totally agree about Edward & Sophie.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

..

Both Mandelson and Blair pushed for Andrew to become Trade Envoy and silenced people who put up objections. They need to be very,very closely investigated as does Starmer's friendship with Mandelson.

I suspect Mandelson is being protected because if he falls, Blair will fall as well.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Smart move deploying Edward to make a comment (he wouldn’t have said anything without the green light from the throne). He and Sophie are so underrated.

Agreed. Moving him and Sophie up the line of succession, even if there's no reasonable chance of them inheriting the throne, would be a good move.

Charles always made it clear that he wanted to "slim down" the monarchy for the 21st century but we're now seeing the risk in doing so. Members of the royal family carry out a huge number of ceremonial roles, such as CinC or equivalent of various army regiments and suchlike, chancellorships of universities and patrons of hundreds of charities in the UK and elsewhere. The late Queen had the support of a number of her cousins, particularly the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester and their wives and siblings such as Princess Alexandra of Kent, over many decades but they are all now dying off or becoming too old and frail to do much.

The monarchy has been slimmed down by dint of events, with the Yorks out of the picture and Harry and his family not wanted here either. William's children are still at least a decade away from taking on active roles and Catherine has, as we know, had a period of ill-health. Both Ann and Edward have tended to keep their children in the background rather than having them take on public roles.

I suspect there's going to be a shortage of royals for quite a few years until William's children come of age, but I do wonder whether we're going to see a sea-change in the ceremonial and public roles the royals as a whole will take on in future. Many organisations may find themselves having to make do with non-royals in future.