Recap: Search of Andrew’s home to continue as Prince William admits he is ‘not calm’
Searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s home are set to continue amid an ongoing police investigation into alleged government leaks to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince William and Princess Kate appeared at the Baftas together for the first time since the arrest of his uncle. William admitted he was not in a “calm state” as he answered questions from reporters.
The government is reportedly looking into removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession as MPs called for his claim to the throne to be cut.
Senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat called on the former prince and Lord Peter Mandelson to face a treason investigation over their links to Epstein.
Activists hung a picture of Mountbatten-Windsor after his arrest in the Louvre in Paris.
Maira Butt23 February 2026 06:00
From abdication to Diana, Harry and ex-Prince Andrew. A look at major British royal scandals
Holding prestige but not power, Britain’s monarchy is finely tuned to public sentiment.
That’s been evident with the disgrace of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the former prince who was arrested and held in custody for nearly 11 hours Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police are investigating whether Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade information with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when the then-Prince Andrew was a U.K. trade envoy. The arrest is unrelated to allegations related to Epstein’s sex trafficking.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein but has not commented on the most recent allegations, which stem from the release of millions of pages of Epstein files by the U.S. Justice Department.
Maira Butt23 February 2026 05:00
Line of succession explained
At this time, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne.
First in line to succeed his father King Charles is the Prince of Wales, William.
His three children are next, with Prince George second in line, Princess Charlotte third, and Prince Louis fourth.
The Sussexes then slot into succession, with Prince Harry fifth in line and his children with Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet next.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor follows.
Maira Butt23 February 2026 04:00
Is the royal family above the law? Why Andrew can be arrested – but not the King
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office in what has been an unprecedented week for the royal family.
He is no longer a prince after his titles was removed following scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
But what are the laws around prosecuting a member of the royal family?
Maira Butt23 February 2026 03:00
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s taxpayer funded Met bodyguards told to provide security for Epstein party, emails reveal
Taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Police bodyguards assigned to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were instructed to provide door security for a lavish celebrity dinner party at Jeffrey Epstein’s New York home, emails suggest.
The officers, given the job of protecting the prince, were staying at the multimillion-pound townhouse on 71st Street during the royal’s trip to visit his friend, according to emails unearthed in the latest tranche of the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice.
The Independent’s crime correspondent Amy Clare-Martin reports:
Maira Butt23 February 2026 02:00
Police searches expected to continue at Royal Lodge after Andrew’s arrest
Andrew was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, spending 11 hours in custody on his 66th birthday, after allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
It comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales made their first joint public appearance since the arrest, attending the Bafta awards on Sunday evening.
Speaking at the event, William said he was not in a “calm state”.
Maira Butt23 February 2026 01:00
Majority of British public wants Mountbatten-Windsor removed from line of succession, polling suggests
The majority of Britons think Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the line of succession, according to recent polling.
The survey conducted by YouGov shows 82 per cent of the public think the former prince should be removed from the line of succession, and just 6 per cent believed he should not.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer’s government considers whether to introduce legislation to remove Mr Mountbatten-Windsor from his place as eighth in line to the throne.
Joe Middleton22 February 2026 23:59
Prince William admits he is ‘not calm’ after Andrew arrest in first appearance with Kate
Prince William has admitted he is not in a “calm state” as the fallout from his uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor‘s arrest continues.
Appearing together with Princess Kate at the Baftas on Sunday for the first time since the arrest, William was asked if he had seen the film Hamnet.
“I need to be in quite a calm state and I am not at the moment,” he told reporters. “I will save it.”
(Jaimi Joy/PA Wire)
Maira Butt22 February 2026 23:38
‘Inconceivable’ Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s guards didn’t see anything, ex-head of UK royal protection says
The ex-head of UK royal protection has said it is “inconceivable” that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s guards didn’t witness any alleged misconduct.
Speaking to Sky News, Dai Davies said: “”Wherever he (Mr Mountbatten-Windsor) went, he would have had a team of protection officers and they would have been with him normally 24 hours a day.
“Clearly at night they’re not in the bedroom with him, but they’re nearby, so that in the event of an incident, they could act in accordance with their training.”
He added: “Many of them had been with him for years, and they would have gone to all the five residents [of Jeffrey Epstein] that we’ve been talking about in the United States, Virgin Islands, New Mexico, and Florida.
“So it’s inconceivable to me, I’m sad to say, that nobody saw anything.”
Joe Middleton22 February 2026 23:00
Watch: Protesters hang photo of Andrew leaving police station in the LouvreProtesters hang photo of Andrew leaving police station in the Louvre
Joe Middleton22 February 2026 22:06