latest news: Andrew released under investigation after 12-hour arrest over Epstein files
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was released from police custody after almost 12 hours of questioning, the latest development tied to revelations in the Epstein files. Investigations into Epstein’s UK links are expanding across multiple police forces, and scrutiny of private flights through airports including Stansted has intensified.
Arrest, custody and release: what happened
The former prince was taken into custody early in the morning and was held at a police station about 40 miles from his Sandringham residence for nearly 12 hours before being released under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police say the man in his 60s from Norfolk was arrested at his rural home at 3: 00 a. m. ET and taken to Aylsham Police Station. He was released later the same day while inquiries continue.
Thames Valley Police have confirmed searches were carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk as part of the investigation. The files that prompted the renewed police attention include references to visits and gatherings at the Sandringham estate, where the former prince has been linked to the disgraced financier.
Throughout the day images of the former royal leaving custody circulated widely and have already been described by some commentators as damaging to the wider family. The former prince has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein files. A prominent U. S. political figure offered brief public comments, calling the developments "a very sad thing" and referencing upcoming royal travel plans to the United States.
Wider police activity and scrutiny of private flights
The arrest comes as a broader law-enforcement sweep probes Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to the UK. At least nine police forces are now examining material linked to Epstein. Some forces are focused on specific allegations drawn from the released files: Norfolk has been supporting the Thames Valley inquiry and examining paperwork linked to Sandringham, while Surrey is seeking information about alleged gatherings described in the files that took place in Virginia Water in the mid-1990s.
The metropolitan force has opened initial enquiries after claims emerged that members of the former protection detail may have traveled on trips connected with Epstein. Other regional forces are assessing flight activity that might indicate trafficking or passenger movements linked to Epstein’s private jets. Essex Police is assessing information about private flights into and out of Stansted Airport; West Midlands police are reviewing records for Birmingham; Bedfordshire is looking at Luton; and Police Scotland is reviewing records for Edinburgh.
Investigators and campaigners have pointed to flight logs that show dozens of private movements between the UK and Epstein-linked locations. An earlier independent review of the files identified roughly 87 flights tied to Epstein that arrived at or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018, with a separate public figure asserting a similar tally that included flights after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
Evidence in the files, investigators note, includes incomplete logs where passengers are simply listed as "female, " and entries that suggest transfers between private aircraft. Airports and private operators use independent fixed-base operators to handle non-scheduled flights; Stansted has emphasised that private jet passengers typically pass through facilities outside the main terminal and that the airport does not manage passenger arrangements for privately operated aircraft.
Police forces have urged anyone with relevant information to come forward as inquiries continue to expand. With multiple forces coordinating different strands of the material, investigators say they are working to determine whether the files contain evidence that warrants further charges or additional arrests.
