King Charles has spoken publicly after his younger brother, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested earlier today (February 19) by police officers.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into custody by plainclothes officers at his home in Sandringham, Norfolk, on his 66th birthday. The arrest followed what Thames Valley Police described as a “thorough assessment,” and a formal investigation has now been launched.

This marks the first time Andrew — who has faced ongoing scrutiny over his past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — has been arrested. It is important to note that an arrest does not imply guilt, and at this stage, no charges have been filed.Under UK law, suspects are typically held for between 12 and 24 hours before either being charged or released while investigations continue.

Titles removed last year

In October, Andrew announced he would step back further amid continuing controversy. In a statement at the time, he said that, after discussions with the King and other family members, it was agreed that the persistent allegations were distracting from the work of the monarch and the Royal Family.

He emphasized that he had always sought to put duty to family and country first and reaffirmed his earlier decision to withdraw from public life. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of sexual misconduct but acknowledged that the situation had become a significant distraction.