Off with his head! Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor first royal to be arrested since ancestor’s death penalty punishment

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday morning

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become the first senior British royal in modern history to be arrested, as the last comparable royal arrest dates back nearly four centuries to the seizure of Charles I of England.

Officers from Thames Valley Police arrested the former Duke of York on February 19 on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Police confirmed in a statement: “We have today arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.

“The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance.”

Andrew was released later that evening. No charges have been announced, and the arrest does not imply guilt.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has become the first royal to be arrested in over 350 years (Credit: Cover Images)

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor first royal to be arrested in 350 years

Royal arrests are extraordinarily rare in contemporary Britain.

While members of the royal family have previously faced fines or police investigations, no senior working or former senior royal has been detained by modern police, until now.

Andrew’s arrest reportedly relates to allegations that Andrew may have passed sensitive information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The last recorded arrest of a British royal dates back over 350 years ago to the era of the English Civil War.

Charles I, born in 1600 and crowned in 1625, famously clashed with Parliament over royal authority. In 1642, he attempted to arrest five MPs in the House of Commons.

After being defeated by Parliamentary forces, Charles surrendered in 1646.

He was ultimately tried for treason. He was convicted and executed outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall on January 30, 1649.

His trial and execution remain the most significant example of a British monarch being detained and held accountable by the state.
King Charles I was the last royal to be arrested in 1646. (Credit: Universal History Archive)

Royal family’s brushes with the law

However, Andrew’s arrest is not the first legal difficulty faced by a royal family member.

In 2002, Princess Anne became the first senior royal in recent history to be convicted of a criminal offence. She was fined £500 under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her bull terrier bit two children. She has also received multiple speeding penalties over the years.

Her daughter, Zara Tindall, was banned from driving in 2020 after exceeding the speed limit, though she was not arrested.

In 2019, the late Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh was investigated following a car crash near Sandringham but was not charged. He later voluntarily surrendered his driving licence.

However, none of those cases involved arrest or detention.

Andrew’s arrest follows years of controversy surrounding his association with Epstein, including a 2022 out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre accused the royal of sexual assault. She claimed that she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.

Andrew has vehemently denied all allegations. He insisted that his settlement was not an admission of guilt.

He lost his military titles and royal honours in 2025 and vacated Royal Lodge in Windsor amid mounting scrutiny.