Former Prince Andrew’s Arrest: Unveiling the Potential Impact on the British Royal Family’s Future

Warning: This article includes discussions of suicide.

King Charles has publicly addressed his brother’s arrest for the first time, ending his message with a familiar commitment from the monarchy: “My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”

However, with the royal family now navigating a legal and reputational crisis like no other in recent times, questions arise about whether this pledge can endure.

On Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his princely title, was held and interrogated by authorities for ten hours on allegations of misconduct in public office during his appointment as the UK’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.

Thames Valley Police, responsible for the region west of London, had earlier stated they were “assessing” claims that Andrew sent trade documents to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010.

The investigation is still ongoing, with the police asking Mountbatten-Windsor’s former protection officers to come forward and share anything they may have seen or heard that may be “relevant” to their inquiry.

Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The UK government has also confirmed that while Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne, it will consider removing him from the line of succession.

This is the first time a senior British royal has been arrested in modern history — the last time it happened was three centuries ago in 1649, when Charles I was arrested and publicly executed after being accused of treason.

That time, it directly led to the fall of the crown.

‘When reality comes in’

Experts say the recent crisis is not only impacting Mountbatten-Windsor, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, but also the reputation and “mystery” of the whole royal family.

In 1877, Walter Bagehot, an English journalist, famously argued that the monarchy’s power relies on its mystique, saying “we must not let in daylight upon magic”.

Lisa J Hackett, a senior lecturer in cultural history at the University of New England, said that in the wake of the recent crisis, “light” might have shone through.

“At some point, it’s kind of that mystique [that] maintains the institution … We expect the royal family to be apart and above us,” she told SBS News.

“When reality comes in, and that’s certainly not the only family in the world to have somebody arrested, it makes it ordinary in a way they’re open to the biases that the rest of us are.

“When we see that [allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor], that rates the social contract we have with the royal family to be this exemplary family.”

In his statement, Charles raised his “deepest concern” about Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest and “suspicion of misconduct in public office”.

The monarch said that the authorities had the family’s “full and wholehearted support and cooperation” and that “the law must take its course”.

‘Is this something I want?’

According to a January YouGov poll, before the arrest, only 3 per cent of Britons viewed Mountbatten-Windsor favourably, 90 per cent held a negative opinion, and the rest had no opinion.

The rest of the family and the monarchy itself had much higher popularity, with the whole royal family being viewed positively by 60 per cent.

Hackett said the recent crisis might even impact the royalists, as it differs from the previous scandals the family has experienced.

“This isn’t a matter of opinion on [whether] somebody should have married somebody, this is somebody who’s seemingly or allegedly has broken the law, [and] the police are conducting an investigation,” she told SBS News

“It will seem that this is not the type of behaviour we want to see the royal family engage in … I think even royalists will be shaken by this news.

“That doesn’t mean they’re going to stop supporting the royal family, but certainly those people who might be on the edge who haven’t considered it before, might be thinking to themselves, well, you know, is this something I want?”

This is not the first time Mountbatten-Windsor has faced allegations related to his relationship with Epstein. In 2015, in US court documents, he was alleged to have had sex with a minor woman under US law three times between 1999 and 2002 in London, New York and on Epstein’s private Caribbean island. The woman was later identified as Virginia Giuffre.

In August 2021, Giuffre sued him in a New York court, claiming the former prince had sexual relations with her when she was 17. Mountbatten-Windsor denied the allegations, stating he had never met her.

The case was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount. Giuffre died by suicide in Australia in April 2025.

The royals have already effectively banished the former prince by stripping him of all his titles, his royal residence and any public involvement with the family.

Julian Payne, Charles’ former communications chief, told Reuters that “the institution has taken every step that it can to distance itself from him and his actions”.

Charles and Queen Camilla have previously said their thoughts and sympathies are with the victims of any abuse. The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, have previously said they are “deeply concerned” by the revelations in the Epstein files.

‘Scrutiny’ flowing into the royal family

On the other hand, opponents of the monarchy have reiterated their demands amid recent events, asking for an end to the 1,000-year-old institution.

Graham Smith, the head ‌of the campaign group Republic, which filed complaints with the police over the former prince and Epstein to trigger the investigation, said the arrest is “incredibly bad for the monarchy”.

He said it would be “game over” for the royals if a police investigation revealed anything that suggested Charles or William had known more about Mountbatten-Windsor’s alleged ties to Epstein and failed to act.

There is no suggestion, so far, that that is the case.

Hackett said that “often when there’s a crisis”, calls for republicanism increase as they “draw attention in a very negative way and invite further scrutiny beyond the event at hand”.

“That scrutiny then flows over into the rest of the royal family and their purpose and their position within society … The danger for the royal family is that scrutiny, enlarging beyond this event,” she said.

Payne said that she doesn’t believe the arrest and release of former prince Andrew will “bring the monarchy down” but “it’ll do significant harm that will be quite lasting”.

The YouGov poll shows that, while the monarchy is no longer as popular as it once was and is struggling to maintain support among younger people, it is still backed by a 64 per cent majority.

It also showed 60 per cent of the Britons viewed Charles positively.

Hackett said that since Queen Elizabeth’s passing, “there’s been a shift in public sentiment towards the royal family”, as Charles enjoys less popularity than Elizabeth, and now his brother’s arrest brings up more questions.

“He wasn’t as popular when he came to the throne, so I think it could shake a lot of his support. I think it could shake his position,” she said.

“Whether it’s going to bring him down … that’s a bigger question.”

— With additional reporting by Reuters.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

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