Epstein files bombshell crumbles the royal family, as police confirms a ‘man in his sixties’ is in custody

A man in his sixties, widely understood to be Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested today on his 66th birthday, following renewed scrutiny sparked by the publication of the “Epstein files” in the US, as reported by Scotland’s The National. This major development comes after allegations surfaced that the royal had leaked sensitive government documents to his disgraced friend, pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Plain-clothes officers were spotted outside the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk earlier today, where Andrew has been residing. The arrest itself stems from an investigation by Thames Valley Police, who had previously stated they were looking into claims that Andrew shared confidential reports from his time as the UK’s trade envoy with Epstein.

Thames Valley Police confirmed the arrest. “As part of the investigation into misconduct in public office, 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 force stated. The man remains in police custody at this time. The police also noted they would not be naming the arrested individual, adhering to national guidance.

With the case now active under the Contempt of Court Act, there are strict limits on what the press and public can discuss

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity and objectivity of their investigation. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time,” Wright added. It’s important to remember that under UK law, an arrest requires police to have reasonable grounds to suspect an offense has occurred and reasonable grounds to believe the arrest is necessary.

The “Epstein files” themselves, specifically emails released by the US Department of Justice earlier this month, appear to show Andrew sharing details of official visits. For instance, one email from November 2010, containing reports from trips to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore, was forwarded by Andrew to Epstein just five minutes after his special adviser sent it.

What’s even more striking is an email from Christmas Eve 2010, where Andrew included Epstein in a confidential brief about investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Epstein, for his part, had been convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

These allegations are pretty serious, and they certainly caught the attention of Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic. Smith confirmed he had reported these allegations to the police, drawing parallels to other high-profile cases of misconduct.

Adding another layer of complexity to the situation, Andrew previously told the BBC he hadn’t spoken to Epstein since December 2010. However, court documents filed by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, which became public in January 2025, show an email sent by Andrew to Epstein in February 2011, saying, “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!” Despite all this, Andrew has consistently and vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Overall, this seems to be a big landmark on the other side of the Atlantic, where the Epstein Files chaos is toppling a lot of political figures.