Main points
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been embroiled in numerous scandals, including links to Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault.
- Andrew was recently arrested on suspicion of public misconduct, and King Charles III has said he is cooperating in the case against his brother.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Elizabeth II / Photo Getty images / Collage of Channel 24
Andrew is the brother of King Charles III, who was stripped of his titles due to a sex scandal. The former prince turns 66 today, February 19.
- 1 Scandals with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- 2 Sex scandal and loss of titles
- 3 How did Andrew Windsor's lies cost millions?
- 4 What is known about the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor?
Because of his reputation, he is forced to celebrate his birthday not with his family, but in custody. Channel 24 decided to talk about some of the scandals involving Andrew that hurt the late Elizabeth II and significantly damaged the reputation of the royal family.
Scandals with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
For many years, the name of the late Queen's favorite son has been at the center of media coverage. It all started with the fact that rumors were repeatedly spread about his connections with showbiz stars. For example, with singer Courtney Love, actress Koo Stark, and reality TV host Caroline Stanbury.
The former prince was married only once. His chosen one was Sarah Ferguson. This union lasted only 10 years, but he had two daughters – Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah / Photo Getty images
As a reminder, Beatrice married an Italian businessman in 2020. The wedding ceremony was attended by only 20 guests, as the couple decided to hold a secret royal wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic and a sex scandal involving the bride's father.
Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi /Photo from Beatrice's Instagram
So, because of Andrew, one of his daughters was forced to abandon the usual royal wedding. But in today's case, where new details have been revealed in the Epstein case, the girls do not want to “pour dirt” on their father, but want to “whiten” his reputation.
But despite all this, the biggest “stain” in the biography of Charles III's brother remains the sex scandal that is increasingly gaining momentum around him.
Sex scandal and loss of titles
It all started when Andrew was spotted in the company of Jeffrey Epstein in 2010. He was already accused of sex trafficking. In 2015, the former prince's name appeared in court documents against Epstein. The son of Elizabeth II said that he regretted his friendship with the financier .
Then, American financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in 2019. He was charged with various counts, and Andrew's name appeared in the case.
At the same time, Virginia Giuffre, who was in sexual slavery for about 16 years, published a photo with a member of the royal family.
Andrew and Virginia Giuffre / Photo Mirror
At the time, the king's brother said he didn't remember where or when he took the photo with her, and also suggested that the photo might be fake, since its authenticity could not be proven.
The victim filed a lawsuit against Andrew, claiming that he molested her three times when she was a minor.
After the report at the trial of Virginia Giuffre, the billionaire hanged himself in his prison cell, Her Majesty's son continued to deny all charges. However, in the same 2019, he resigned from royal duties.
In 2020, the press reported that in the early 2000s, the former prince had a romantic relationship with model Caprice Bure, who was 12 years younger than him. It is known that the girl managed to go on dates twice within the walls of Buckingham Palace and even sat on the Queen's state throne.
A former royal guard recently claimed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor brought women to Buckingham Palace several times a week. Other guards were “not allowed” to know the names of the girls who visited him.
In 2022, Her Majesty's patience must have snapped, as she stripped her son of his military ranks and patronages.
The Queen stripped Andrew of his patronages / Photo from the royal family's Instagram
In the same year, when Elizabeth II died and the throne passed to Charles III, Andrew's life changed again. He permanently lost all royal duties, and his brother forbade him from Buckingham Palace, forbidding him to have an office in the building.
Any presence he has in the palace is officially over. The King has made it clear. He is not a member of the royal family. He is on his own,
– the source said.
In October 2025, Andrew renounced the title of Duke of York and royal titles, but continued to deny any allegations.
We have come to the conclusion that the constant accusations against me are distracting from the work that His Majesty and the Royal Family are doing… With His Majesty's consent, we feel that I should now take a further step. Accordingly, I will no longer use my title or the awards conferred upon me,
– Prince Andrew concluded.
Prince Andrew and King Charles III / Photo Getty images
That same month, Charles III stripped his brother of his title of Prince and ordered him to leave Royal Lodge. From that moment on, he was simply known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
How did Andrew Windsor's lies cost millions?
In 2022, the former prince decided to settle the Virginia Giuffre allegations financially. He borrowed £12 million (approximately $16.5 million) for the case and has yet to pay it back.
Queen Elizabeth II contributed £7 million, with another £3 million coming from Prince Philip's estate, which was left after his death. In addition, the then Prince Charles paid out around £1.5 million.
A man thought he could pay off his debts by selling his Swiss ski chalet. But it turned out he got almost nothing because the building had a large mortgage.
In 2022, the royal family agreed to help Andrew financially so that the matter could be resolved by the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
They believed his lies and helped him try to cover up the problem. His own mother, the late Queen, was heartbroken by the scandal. But she could not bear the thought of banishing Andrew, who was still her favorite son,
– says a source to The Sun.
Virginia herself committed suicide in 2025. The woman hanged herself.
In addition, a photo of what is believed to be the former Prince Andrew has recently surfaced online, kneeling next to a woman whose face is covered by a black rectangle (the woman is fully clothed). In two photos, he is touching her stomach, and in one, he is looking into the camera.
Andrew Windsor in a photo from the Epstein case / Photo by the US Department of Justice
What is known about the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor?
Today, on the birthday of Charles III's brother, it was announced that he had been arrested. This was in connection with suspicion of misconduct in public office. Searches are ongoing in Berkshire and Norfolk. The detainee is currently in police custody.
The BBC wrote that this is not the first time Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested.
King Charles III has already made an official statement that he will cooperate in the case against his younger brother. The monarch claims that the law must prevail.