Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shortly after his release on Thursday evening.Image: REUTERS
After a few hours in police custody, the former Prince Andrew was released again. What happened during that time.
02/20/2026, 10:21February 20, 2026, 10:25 am
The arrest
On Thursday morning at 8 a.m. local time (9 a.m. in Switzerland), police showed up in Sandringham and took Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor into custody. She announced this at 11 a.m. Swiss time. He was taken in a car to an initially unknown location. It is now known that Andrew was housed at Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk. According to the picture, the journey from Sandringham to the historic place near Norwich took around an hour.
Thames Valley Police have opened an investigation into an offense of misconduct in public office.
A man in his sixties from Norfolk has been arrested and remains in police custody. As per national guidance we will not name the arrested man.
Read more: https://t.co/wehZDx4InV pic.twitter.com/b23l2KeOHG
— Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) February 19, 2026
The searches
While Andrew was in police custody, investigators searched various properties, including in Norfolk, where Andrew had been arrested. The aim was to secure evidence. This includes, for example, computers and any files, photos and emails on them.
Searches are also being carried out in Berkshire. These were still in progress on Thursday evening, the police said. Those in Norfolk were completed at this time.
Andrew is accused of abuse of office. In his previous role as a trade representative, he is said to have forwarded confidential documents to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Evidence of this was discovered in the recently released Epstein files. Andrew is said to have forwarded reports of official visits to various countries to Epstein.
In police custody
According to the “Daily Mail” Andrew was questioned on Thursday. And that over several hours, like that “Picture” reported. Andrew also received lunch and tea in the afternoon. Nothing is known about any findings from the survey.
The police station in Aylsham, Norfolk.Image: Google Street View
Pictures of prison cells from the police station show a sparse facility. According to media reports, Andrew also had to give up his belt and shoelaces – a precautionary measure against self-harm or suicide.
The reactions
While Andrew was shielded from the outside world, several people close to him or involved in the case spoke publicly. Andrew’s brother King Charles stressed that the law must take its course and he fully supports the police. Prince William also supported this statement.
In general, many people felt relief. Andrew’s arrest had long been called for. The siblings of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most famous victims, also expressed relief and thanked investigators. He was never a prince, they told CBS News. Virginia Giuffre had accused Andrew for years of raping her several times when she was a young woman.
While many on social media made fun of Andrew and his arrest, one person expressed sadness: US President Donald Trump called the arrest a disgrace. It was very, very sad, said Trump.
The release
After about 11 hours, Andrew was released again at 7:30 p.m. The police announced this on Thursday evening. Pictures show him sitting in a car being driven to Sandringham.
The shock
The fact that Andrew was only in police custody for a few hours shocked many people. The initial relief suddenly disappeared. Virginia Giuffre’s family was also dismayed. They had a lot of mixed emotions, the siblings told CNN. Giuffre’s brother says he believes not enough has been done.
Andrew sits in the back seat of the plainclothes police vehicle.Image: Getty Images Europe
Further investigations
The investigation continued on Friday. So the police arrived at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire in the morning BBC reported. Andrew lived in this 30-room villa for around 20 years before moving to Sandringham because of the pressure in the Epstein case.