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Ongoing story / Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's fall, from losing his titles to his arrest

Overview · reviewed November 5, 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III, lost his military roles in January 2022 and settled Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse lawsuit the following month.[1][2] In October 2025, Buckingham Palace announced the removal of his royal titles and said he must surrender his Royal Lodge lease.[3][4] He was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.[5] In October, the High Court quashed the warrants used to search his homes, though the criminal investigation continued.[6]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

In October 2025, Buckingham Palace announced the removal of his royal titles and said he must surrender his Royal Lodge lease.[3][4] He was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.[5] In October, the High Court quashed the warrants used to search his homes, though the criminal investigation continued.[6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Oct 2021: average weekly share 10% (left 3%, center 6%, right 2%), from 3 of 3 weeksNov 2021: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksDec 2021: average weekly share 6% (left 2%, center 4%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2022: average weekly share 13% (left 4%, center 7%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2022: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 3%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2022: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2022: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2023: average weekly share 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJun 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 1% (left 0%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 8% (left 2%, center 5%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 13% (left 2%, center 6%, right 4%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 3% (left under 1%, center 2%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 11 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (22 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 20262406 of 4711%
Oct 26, 2026110213 of 4733%
Oct 5, 2026823637 of 4798%
May 18, 20262316 of 1973%
Feb 23, 20261416 of 1863%
Feb 16, 202616383084 of 17847%
Oct 27, 202517210 of 1746%
Oct 20, 20252507 of 1944%
Oct 13, 20251024640 of 18222%
Dec 16, 20240325 of 2262%
Dec 9, 20240224 of 2082%
Jan 16, 20230235 of 1883%
Mar 7, 2022510318 of 1949%
Feb 14, 202213271252 of 19527%
Jan 24, 202227211 of 1986%
Jan 10, 20221834961 of 20031%
Jan 3, 20221630854 of 18829%
Dec 27, 20211226745 of 18025%
Nov 22, 20212327 of 1864%
Nov 1, 202148214 of 1997%
Oct 25, 2021612422 of 18612%
Oct 11, 2021920635 of 19418%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 4, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WFLA

    Ex-Prince Andrew called to testify in civil case, 1st royal in 156 years to get witness summons

Background

Virginia Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager. In October 2021, London's Metropolitan Police said it would take no action over her allegation,[7] and Andrew's lawyers asked a US judge to dismiss her lawsuit, arguing that it was barred by her 2009 legal settlement with Jeffrey Epstein.[8][9] In December they also argued that she could not sue in a US court because she had lived in Australia for much of the past two decades.[10] The judge said a trial was likely in late 2022.[11] In January 2022, he allowed the lawsuit to proceed despite that settlement.[12] Queen Elizabeth II then removed Andrew's honorary military titles and royal patronages.[1] Andrew denied the allegations and sought a jury trial.[13] He settled the lawsuit in February, and a judge formally dismissed it in March.[2][14]

Read the full background (5 more paragraphs)

A separate controversy concerned Andrew's relationship with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy and barred from the United Kingdom. In December 2024, Andrew said he had ceased contact following government advice and that they had discussed nothing sensitive.[15]

Scrutiny of Andrew's Epstein ties intensified in October 2025. He announced that he would stop using his Duke of York title.[16] Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir renewed attention to her allegations, and London's Metropolitan Police said they were looking into reports that Andrew had asked a police bodyguard to obtain information about her.[17][18] Buckingham Palace then announced that King Charles was removing Andrew's title of prince and that he would surrender the Royal Lodge lease and move to private accommodation.[3]

Thames Valley Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.[5] The investigation concerned allegations that he had shared government reports with Epstein while serving as Britain's trade .[19] He was held for nearly 11 hours, and police continued searching his former home the next day.[20]

also examined his appointment as trade envoy. In February, the House of Commons approved the release of confidential papers about the appointment.[19] Documents released in May showed that Queen Elizabeth II had been "very keen" for him to get the post in 2001 and that ministers had given the appointment little scrutiny.[21]

In October 2026, Mountbatten-Windsor asked the High Court in London to quash the search warrants.[22] Police acknowledged that the warrants were unlawful, and the court quashed them. Police could still seek to retain the seized material as their investigation continued.[6] On October 9, the Crown Estate said he had fully vacated Royal Lodge and had been awarded 302,000 pounds for surrendering the lease.[23] Police Scotland began investigating his stays at Balmoral with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell,[24] and in November he was called to testify as a witness in a civil fraud trial, believed to be the first such summons for a member of the royal family in more than 150 years.[25]

Supporting stories (25)
  1. Queen removes Prince Andrew's military roles, patronages
  2. Prince Andrew settles sex abuse lawsuit with accuser Virginia Giuffre
  3. King Charles to remove Prince Andrew's titles and eject him from Royal Lodge
  4. Prince Andrew stripped of royal titles and residence – DW
  5. Why was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested? Here’s what to know about ‘misconduct in public office’
  6. Judge says search warrants used to seize property from former Prince Andrew were unlawful
  7. UK police won't act against Prince Andrew over abuse claim
  8. Prince Andrew's attorneys ask to dismiss US sex assault lawsuit saying it violates the terms of a settlement agreement
  9. Judge in Prince Andrew suit says key document can be secret
  10. Prince Andrew's lawyers argue accuser can't sue because she lives in Australia
  11. Judge: Prince Andrew sex lawsuit trial likely in late 2022
  12. Giuffre's Prince Andrew suit goes ahead despite Epstein deal
  13. Prince Andrew denies sexual abuse allegations and demands jury trial in Virginia Giuffre lawsuit
  14. Sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew has been formally dismissed by a judge
  15. Who is the alleged Chinese spy with close ties to Britain's Prince Andrew?
  16. Prince Andrew gives up royal titles after string of scandals
  17. Virginia Giuffre memoir reignites scandal for Prince Andrew and U.K. royals
  18. Police looking into whether Prince Andrew enlisted officer to dig up dirt on accuser Giuffre
  19. UK lawmakers approve release of confidential documents related to former Prince Andrew - Boston News, Weather, Sports
  20. Police are searching ex-Prince Andrew’s former home — a day after his arrest
  21. Queen Elizabeth was eager for ex-Prince Andrew to become British trade envoy, documents say
  22. Former Prince Andrew files a legal action to quash warrants that led to searches of his residence
  23. Former Prince Andrew has been awarded 302,000 pounds in compensation after surrendering his lease in Windsor
  24. Police probe Jeffrey Epstein’s time spent at Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
  25. Ex-Prince Andrew called to testify in civil case, 1st royal in 176 years to get witness summons

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 36 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Ex-Prince Andrew called to testify in civil case, 1st royal in 176 years to get witness summonsHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets

October 2026

  1. Police probe Jeffrey Epstein’s time spent at Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-WindsorHeadline from KRDO · 16 outlets
  2. Former Prince Andrew has been awarded 302,000 pounds in compensation after surrendering his lease in WindsorHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 4 outlets
  3. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor granted £302,000 for end of Royal Lodge leaseHeadline from The Guardian · 4 outlets
  4. Judge says search warrants used to seize property from former Prince Andrew were unlawfulHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 21 outlets
  5. Former Prince Andrew files a legal action to quash warrants that led to searches of his residenceHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 14 outlets
  6. Police accept Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor search warrants were unlawful, court hearsHeadline from BBC News · 19 outlets

May 2026

  1. Queen Elizabeth was eager for ex-Prince Andrew to become British trade envoy, documents sayHeadline from NBC News · 6 outlets

February 2026

  1. UK lawmakers approve release of confidential documents related to former Prince Andrew - Boston News, Weather, SportsHeadline from WHDH Boston · 6 outlets
  2. Police are searching ex-Prince Andrew’s former home — a day after his arrestHeadline from New York Post · 16 outlets
  3. Why was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested? Here’s what to know about ‘misconduct in public office’Headline from Local News 8 · 92 outlets

October 2025

  1. King Charles to remove Prince Andrew's titles and eject him from Royal LodgeHeadline from NBC10 Philadelphia · 7 outlets
  2. Prince Andrew to no longer use 'prince' title, per Buckingham PalaceHeadline from ABC 11 Raleigh · 2 outlets
  3. Prince Andrew stripped of royal titles and residence – DWHeadline from Deutsche Welle · 4 outlets
  4. Virginia Giuffre memoir reignites scandal for Prince Andrew and U.K. royalsHeadline from NBC 6 South Florida · 8 outlets
  5. Police looking into whether Prince Andrew enlisted officer to dig up dirt on accuser GiuffreHeadline from CNN · 7 outlets
  6. Prince Andrew gives up royal titles after string of scandalsHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 44 outlets

December 2024

  1. Who is the alleged Chinese spy with close ties to Britain's Prince Andrew?Headline from MyNorthwest · 9 outlets

January 2023

  1. Ghislaine Maxwell calls Prince Andrew photo with Virginia Giuffre ‘a fake’Headline from The Guardian · 7 outlets

March 2022

  1. Sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew has been formally dismissed by a judgeHeadline from NPR · 19 outlets

February 2022

  1. Prince Andrew settles sex abuse lawsuit with accuser Virginia GiuffreHeadline from CBS News · 56 outlets

January 2022

  1. Prince Andrew denies sexual abuse allegations and demands jury trial in Virginia Giuffre lawsuitHeadline from Local News 8 · 15 outlets
  2. Prince Andrew, accuser seek witnesses in sex abuse lawsuitHeadline from Helena Independent Record · 19 outlets
  3. Queen removes Prince Andrew's military roles, patronagesHeadline from WTHR Indianapolis · 36 outlets
  4. Giuffre's Prince Andrew suit goes ahead despite Epstein dealHeadline from The Pantagraph · 52 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →