Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was arrested on Thursday (local time), but his detention was not related to allegations made years ago by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse in the early 2000s.
Instead, his arrest followed the release of millions of documents by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew’s association with him. Epstein’s files revealed Andrew’s behavior during this tenure as a British government trade envoy, the BBC reported.
According to the January 2026 disclosure report, it included confidential information that Andrew shared with Epstein while serving in an ambassadorial role. One email between the two showed that after a government-sponsored trip to Asia in November 2010, Andrew received a series of country-by-country reports that he immediately shared with Epstein. This particular correspondence led to the involvement of Thames Police.
In another email dated December 24, 2010, Andrew sent Epstein confidential information about investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand province in Afghanistan. The reconstruction at the time was overseen by the British Armed Forces and funded by the United Kingdom Government.
The revelations have reignited scrutiny of Andrew’s time as a trade envoy and added to a long list of controversies that have dogged him over the years. Andrew, whom King Charles III. stripped of royal titles, repeatedly faced public and institutional backlash.
Here’s a look at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s past controversies:
1. According to UPI, an American news portal, in 1984, during his four-day trip to Southern California, Andrew took spray paint and sprayed it on American and British journalists and photographers who were covering the royal trip. Later, he wiped his hands on a newspaper and told County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, “I liked that.” Afterwards, several reporters reported that their cameras were damaged.
Read also | Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor looks visibly horrified in the first photo after his arrest
2. In 2001, Virginia Roberts Giuffre alleged in court documents that Epstein forced her to engage in sexual activity with Andrew in 2001, when she was just 17, at his residences in New York, London and on his private island in the US Virgin Islands. However, a judge dismissed her allegations and expunged them from the record, finding they were “immaterial and impertinent to the central allegation” in the case at the time, according to a Business Insider report.
Read also | Police are investigating whether Prince Andrew hired an officer to dig up dirt on Giuffre’s accuser
3. In 2006, he invited Andrew Epstein, his ex-girlfriend and longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and disgraced former Hollywood film producer and convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein to his private residence at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Castle estate. Multiple media reports indicate that this gathering occurred nearly two months after an arrest warrant was issued for Epstein in connection with the sexual assault of a minor.
4. In 2007, Andrew sold the Sunninghill Park property near Windsor for €15 million, reportedly above its market value, to someone connected to Timur Kulibayev, a businessman and son-in-law of the then president of Kazakhstan. The company involved in the purchase of the mansion was later implicated in criminal corruption.
5. Between 2010 and 2011, his role as trade envoy came under scrutiny, and in 2011 the British royal family removed him as trade envoy, The Guardian reported. Buckingham Palace’s announcement came after a period of intense scrutiny in March 2011, when it was reported that Andrew continued to be in contact with Epstein, who was jailed in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. The report further revealed that Epstein gave €15,000 to Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to help pay off her debts. This episode was considered the last lapse in the prince’s ten-year tenure as trade envoy. He has previously faced criticism for frequently using private jets and helicopters instead of commercial flights for official trips, as well as maintaining close ties with controversial foreign leaders and business figures.
Read also | Virginia Giuffre’s family on Andrew’s arrest: ‘No one is above the law’
6. At the same time, Andrew also reportedly hosted Sakher el-Materi, a leading member of the ousted Tunisian dictatorship, at Buckingham Palace, just months before the regime collapsed.
7. In 2019, Andrew’s infamous interview with a BBC reporter caught the eye. While he denied having sex with Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked as a minor, Andrew said Epstein helped him get contacts.
8. In 2020, Chinese businessman H6 was described as a close confidant of Andrew and was also invited to his birthday, Sky News reported. The incident came to light between 2023 and 2024 when he was banned from entering the UK due to national security concerns. The 53-page judgment in the H6 case referred to a 2021 document obtained from a device which listed call points for a call between a Chinese businessman and Andrew, who also claimed the former prince “is in a desperate situation and will grab anything”.
9. In 2022, Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre in the US. While the lawsuit acknowledged her suffering, it did not hold Andrew liable and awarded $10 million in damages. In the same year, Queen Elizabeth II. she stripped Andrew of his military titles, whereupon he ceased to use the style “His Royal Highness”.
10. In 2025, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his “prince” title and he was also evicted from his royal residence because of his relationship with Epstein.