UK Considers Removing Andrew As Police Continue Royal Searches
Police searches at Royal Lodge continued as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said a judge-led inquiry is premature while Thames Valley Police investigate Mountbatten-Windsor after his arrest.
Overview
Thames Valley Police continued searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate on Sunday, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she would not rule out a judge-led inquiry while the police investigation continues.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office and was detained and questioned for around 11 hours before being released under investigation.
The Metropolitan Police said it was identifying and contacting officers who served as protection officers for Mountbatten-Windsor and asked them to consider whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to ongoing reviews.
A YouGov poll found 82% of Britons believe Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the line of succession, and sources said any formal removal would require an act of Parliament.
The search of Royal Lodge began on Thursday, continued on Sunday and is expected to be completed on Monday, and Thames Valley Police said Mountbatten-Windsor could be brought back for further questioning or rearrested as the investigation continues.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage as a crisis of institutional reputation, using evaluative language ('disgrace', 'banished') and vivid imagery (Andrew 'slouched...shocked and confused'). Editorial choices — prioritizing past scandals (abdication, Diana, Harry), invoking historical parallels, and emphasizing royal responses — collectively portray the monarchy as vulnerable and under threat.
Sources (78)
FAQ
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded confidential reports from his visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore in 2010 to Jeffrey Epstein. These documents were produced as part of his role as a British trade envoy and were described in emails as 'confidential information' stemming from his government position.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is currently 8th in line to the throne. However, a YouGov poll found that 82% of Britons believe he should be removed from the line of succession, and any formal removal would require an act of Parliament.
As of the latest reports, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has not been formally charged. He was arrested on February 18, 2026, on suspicion of misconduct in public office and was released under investigation. Police indicated he could be brought back for further questioning or rearrested as the investigation continues.
King Charles III released a statement that was described as 'stunning in the directness of its wording.' In it, the king stated: 'Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.' This followed Charles previously stripping Andrew of his title of prince.
The arrest was prompted by the January 30, 2026 release of millions of documents from the Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice. These newly released documents included email exchanges between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that detailed his sharing of confidential government information during his time as a trade envoy in 2010.
History
6 sources
11 sources
11 sources
12 sources
29 sources
3 sources