A man in his sixties from Norfolk was arrested on Thursday, February 19, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Thames Valley Police confirmed. While authorities have not publicly identified the individual, the arrest has been widely reported as relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew.
The arrest, which occurred on Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday, prompted a statement from King Charles III. “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” the King said in a statement issued by Buckingham Palace. “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation. Let me state clearly: the law must accept its course.”
Lady Victoria Hervey, a former girlfriend of Mountbatten-Windsor, responded to the arrest via her X account on Friday, February 20, describing the public reaction as a “feeding frenzy which can only be compared to a blood sport like fox hunting.”
Hervey has been a vocal supporter of Mountbatten-Windsor amid ongoing scrutiny regarding his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, she publicly stated her belief that the interview demonstrated his innocence, telling Good Morning Britain, “There is no way, if he is guilty, that he would travel onto television and do an interview like that. There’s no way.”
Mountbatten-Windsor was previously sued by Virginia Giuffre in 2021 over allegations of sexual assault and settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum in 2022. Giuffre’s family issued a statement following the arrest, stating, “At last… today our broken hearts have been lifted.”
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright of Thames Valley Police stated that searches are being carried out in Berkshire and Norfolk as part of the investigation. “It’s important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense,” Wright said. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
Hervey and Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly had a brief relationship following his divorce from Sarah Ferguson in 1996, consisting of “a couple of dinners together” around 1999 or 2000, according to a 2019 interview with Good Morning Britain.
