WASHINGTON – It wasn't Jeffrey Epstein's illicit past that led to the stunning arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Feb. 19. It was the alleged leak of confidential information from the former prince to the convicted sex offender.
The charges of misconduct in office reportedly being pursued by British authorities could put former Prince Andrew in significant legal jeopardy. The charges relate to leaks of information while Andrew acted as the United Kingdom's trade envoy.
The first known modern arrest of a senior British royal raises questions about the handling of sensitive UK government information, the oversight of quasi-official royal roles and Andrew’s long relationship with Epstein.
British media outlets say Andrew’s arrest – on his 66th birthday – stems from his time as Britain's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011.
Epstein, who was accused of overseeing a global sex-trafficking network, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. (He had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.) His closest associate Ghislaine Maxwell – daughter of British publisher Robert Maxwell and frequent companion of Mountbatten-Windsor – was convicted of similar charges and is serving a 20-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison.
