King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was detained on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid allegations that he passed confidential government material to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. He was released later that day and no criminal charges have been filed against him.
The arrest followed a flood of documents tied to Epstein made public by the U.S. Justice Department. Those files have exposed a network of connections between Epstein and several high-profile figures in politics and business. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has already been stripped of royal titles and removed from his former residence because of his social and commercial ties to Epstein.
Separately, in 2022 the former prince resolved a civil claim brought by a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. That settlement did not include an admission of liability, and authorities say his recent arrest was not related to those allegations. Mountbatten-Windsor has maintained his innocence, expressed regret about his association with Epstein, and said he never witnessed sex crimes. His office did not provide a comment after the detention and he has not addressed the public since the documents were released.
Internal government documents
Emails among the files appear to show that in 2010, while serving as a UK trade envoy, Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded internal government reports and other non-public material to Epstein. Trade envoys are typically subject to confidentiality rules that restrict sharing such information.
One November 2010 message shows the former prince sending Epstein four UK government visit reports covering Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Those reports had been supplied to him minutes earlier by a palace adviser after an official trade trip to southern China and Southeast Asia. On the same day, he also forwarded a set of documents labelled "Overseas Bids 301110," which he had just received from his private office.
The released files include itemized assessments of expenses tied to his commercial and charitable activities. A separate email dated Dec. 24, 2010 shows Mountbatten-Windsor sending Epstein what he described as a "confidential brief" prepared by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan; the brief related to proposed international investment opportunities, and the former prince asked Epstein for his comments and ideas.
Another message from May 2010 refers to an earlier private discussion with Epstein about how to handle "responsibility" for financial matters. In that exchange Mountbatten-Windsor wrote that there were "no problems" provided that any responsibility for investing was delegated to trusts, banks, investment vehicles or "trusted individuals." The email did not make clear whether he was discussing responsibilities linked to his trade envoy role or private activities.
Additional correspondence shows Mountbatten-Windsor sharing sensitive or internal information with an Abu Dhabi-based banker, including material that touched on a potential approach to the luxury carmaker Aston Martin. An aide to the former royal forwarded that exchange to Epstein. Other messages relate to financial topics and to logistical preparations for a planned trip to China undertaken in his trade envoy capacity.
Investment possibilities discussed
The archives show the former royal weighing private business ventures with Epstein while still holding the trade envoy position. In 2010 emails, Mountbatten-Windsor appears to have discussed a private venture called the Green Park Group with Epstein. Separate messages reference conversations about an investment vehicle identified as Witan Holdings.
One July 2010 email chain outlines a proposed $8 billion "cash-for-oil" arrangement involving contacts in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Libya. Those messages describe potential roles for senior figures in the UAE and Libya, and include mention of an introduction to a senior aide to Libya's then-leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Other documented exchanges detail China-related commercial engagement in 2010, including preparations for a Beijing trip and an "exchange deal of private placement for oil."
Social interactions and images
The published records indicate Mountbatten-Windsor socialised with Epstein both before and after Epstein's 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor. In a 2009 deposition, Epstein's former house manager Juan Alessi said the former prince stayed for weeks at a time at Epstein's estate and received "daily massages." Alessi could not be reached for comment in the documents released.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any misconduct in relation to his contact with Epstein. The files include an email from 2010, shortly after Epstein's house arrest ended, in which Epstein wrote to Mountbatten-Windsor about a "beautiful" and "trustworthy" 26-year-old Russian woman he thought the then-prince might like to have dinner with. Mountbatten-Windsor replied that he would be "delighted" to meet her and asked: "Will she be bringing a message from you?"
The trove also contains photographs showing Mountbatten-Windsor lying across the laps of several women; the faces of those women are redacted in the released images.
Legal and public posture
Authorities arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office tied to the allegation that he passed confidential government documents to Epstein. He was released later on the same day and has not been charged. His prior civil settlement with an accuser was not an admission of wrongdoing and is not linked to the recent arrest.
Police and the former prince's office did not offer additional public comment after the arrest, and he has not made any public statements since the Epstein-related files were disclosed.
Investment note included in the files
Embedded within the broader collection of material is content promoting an investment product, noting that better data and institutional-grade analysis can aid investment decisions. The material stated that such tools do not guarantee winners but aim to identify more opportunities. It suggested consulting AI-powered insights to guide investment choices in 2026. This promotional element appears among the large set of documents that became public alongside the Epstein files.