In the early-morning hours of Feb. 19, a fleet of unmarked vehicles descended upon King Charles III's Sandringham Estate to arrest his younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) on suspicions of misconduct in public office. British authorities have been investigating Andrew, 66, over allegations that he shared confidential information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while he worked as a trade envoy for the U.K. between 2001 and 2011. Andrew was taken into custody and police conducted searches of his new Wood Farm home at Sandringham as well as his former residence Royal Lodge. He was released from custody hours after his arrest and was pictured slinking down in the backseat of a car as he left Aylsham Police Station. The authorities told multiple outlets that the former Duke of York "has now been released under investigation," meaning no charges were officially filed, nor has Andrew been cleared. As shock waves rippled through the U.K., Charles released a personally signed statement saying he had learned the news of Andrew's arrest (which took place on the former royal's birthday) "with the deepest concern," adding that the authorities have his support and "the law must take its course." Us Weekly has learned that Prince William and Princess Kate support the king's statement. A spokesperson for Charles said Buckingham Palace was not informed that the arrest was going to take place; after releasing his statement, Charles hosted guests at St James's Palace and later attended an event to mark the start of London Fashion Week. Andrew has become the first senior royal to be arrested in nearly four centuries. (If charged and convicted of misconduct in public office, he could face a potential life sentence.) "Without question, this is the biggest royal scandal in the last century," says royal historian Gareth Russell. "They were all blindsided. No one was advised of his arrest ahead of time," says a source, adding that Charles has not spoken with his brother. Samir Hussein/WireImage; Ibl/Shutterstock The shocking turn of events came weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice released the latest batch of Epstein files containing more than 3 million pages of documents and photos that shed new light on the late sex offender's dealings with both Andrew (who has denied all wrongdoing in connection to Epstein) and his ex-wife, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson. On Feb. 9, the BBC reported that an anti-monarchy group called Republic had filed a complaint with the Thames Valley Police claiming the tranche of new files showed that Andrew shared confidential information with Epstein. The newly released correspondence reveals that Andrew and Ferguson, also 66, were much closer to Epstein - who died by suicide in 2019 in a New York City jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking - than they previously acknowledged. In October 2025, Charles, 77, stripped Andrew of his remaining royal titles and forced him out of Royal Lodge. (He moved into temporary accommodations at Sandringham in January.) Sources and royal experts tell Us Andrew's and Ferguson's reputations are irrevocably damaged. "There's no real return to royal life," shares the source, noting that the exes are "very much in survival mode." Why Was Prince Andrew Arrested? Charges Explained, Royal Family's Reaction There are far-reaching consequences for their daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, and, of course, the monarchy at large. "The monarchy depends on the trust, goodwill and affection of the British people. The Epstein case, and in particular Andrew's involvement in it, has really stretched that bond to the breaking point," says royal expert Christopher Andersen. Omid Scobie, co-author of the new novel The Royal Spin, tells Us Andrew's history with Epstein proves "there was a lot more going on than we thought," adding, "The British public have a lot of questions, and at some point, some of those questions need to be answered." David E. Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR and an expert in crisis communications, says even the reputation of the late Queen Elizabeth II will be affected by Andrew's actions. "A lot of people will be saying, 'Why didn't she do more?' This has been going on for a long time. She looked the other way." News Licensing / MEGA For William, 43, and Kate, 44, the scandal "reinforces their [approach of having] zero tolerance for reputational risk," notes the source. "They are disgusted and appalled by what's come out." (They released a statement on Feb. 9 saying they've been "deeply concerned by the continuing revelations" and "their thoughts remain focused on the victims." Prince Edward also addressed his brother Andrew's scandal at a royal engagement on Feb. 3, telling CNN, "It's really important to remember the victims.") Adds Johnson, "I expect we'll see William and Kate really step up to the forefront and handle the crisis management." Historian Russell says Charles' statement of support f