Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and according to a new report, the police inquiry into the former Duke of York is expected to “widen” into other potential charges. On Thursday, March 19, the Times reported that Thames Valley Police will “likely” expand their investigation into charges outside of his alleged misdoings as a U.K. trade envoy.
According to the outlet, the ex-Duke of York, whose titles were stripped by King Charles in October 2025, is “set to be investigated over other potential corruption offenses on top of a scoping inquiry into alleged sex trafficking,” per police.
Andrew has continuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and the sexual assault charges brought upon him by the late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre. But Andrew was arrested for allegedly sharing confidential documents with the convicted sex offender after new information was released by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Epstein files.
A police source told the Times that after Andrew was arrested on misconduct in public office (Mipo), it’s opened the door “to look at broader offenses.”
“The legal bar for Mipo is high,” the source said. “There was always an issue over whether he was actually a public official at the time, whether he actually signed any papers. It’s not surprising that they are having to look at broader offenses.”
If found guilty of misconduct in public office, the potential maximum penalty is a life sentence in prison. According to police, any interviews regarding the investigation “are expected to be by appointment,” but any final decisions on charges could take a year.
In the meantime, Andrew has been evicted from his longtime home, Royal Lodge, and is living on The King's Sandringham estate as he awaits the results of his investigation.
