Former Prince Andrew's arrest linked to UK trade leak, not sex claims of Epstein files: Report

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on February 19 was not triggered by long-standing sexual misconduct allegations linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but by claims that the former prince leaked sensitive UK trade and investment information while holding a government-linked role, according to British and US media reports.

Andrew, who turned 66 on the day of his arrest, was taken into custody by Thames Valley Police at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where he has been living since stepping back from royal duties. Police said only that they had arrested “a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.” He was later released and remains under investigation.

The alleged offences relate to Andrew’s tenure as the United Kingdom’s special representative for international trade and investment, a role he held from 2001 to 2011.

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Trade envoy role under scrutiny

British media, citing recently released US Justice Department documents related to Epstein, report that Andrew shared confidential material with Epstein and possibly others while acting as a UK trade envoy. The documents reportedly include communications involving sensitive information about companies such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Aston Martin, as well as internal reports from official visits to Vietnam, Singapore and China.

One email, dated December 24, 2010, allegedly sent Epstein a confidential briefing on international investment opportunities linked to reconstruction efforts in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The email, reported by the BBC, was signed “HRH The Duke of York KG” and described the document as confidential.

While there is no indication that classified national security material was disclosed, UK officials note that trade envoys are bound by strict confidentiality rules covering commercial, diplomatic and political information.

Andrew has denied all wrongdoing, including the allegations related to Epstein’s wider criminal activities.

Epstein link and public fallout

Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor, took his own life in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later convicted in the US and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Andrew’s connection to Epstein has raised many questions over the years, but British officials are now examining whether public information was leaked during a time when Epstein was under criminal investigation.

Sir Vince Cable, who was a UK business secretary during part of Andrew’s tenure as trade envoy, told the BBC that if the allegations are true, the actions would be “totally unacceptable” and that there should be both criminal and government investigations into how such leaks may have occurred.

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Legal and political implications

US and UK legal analysts believe that this case may have serious implications in the future.

“Sharing confidential government information outside official channels is a serious national security risk,” said Jake Braun, a former high-ranking US White House and Department of Homeland Security official, as reported by USA TODAY. Braun is currently the executive director of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Cyber Policy Initiative.

The British government has not yet confirmed the charges that will be filed, and the case is still under investigation.