Britain arrested a royal for the first time in 379 years. The charge carries life.

Friday!

Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,

Today, we look at Andrew’s (formerly known as Prince) arrest and release.

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The take: The Epstein files did what years of scandal never could (police showed up at a former prince's door).

What happened: Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on his 66th birthday and released him 11 hours later — not charged, not cleared.

Why it matters: The charge, misconduct in public office, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

What to watch: Whether prosecutors formally charge him; police are still searching Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The last senior royal arrested was Charles I in 1647. He lost his head. Andrew lost his titles. Sentencing has improved slightly.

[Analysis] Source: Institute for Government / CBS News, February 2026

Background: Between 2014 and 2024, 191 people were convicted of misconduct in public office. 92% were prison officers or police. 98% were junior to mid-level officials.

Key quote: King Charles III: "The law must take its course." The Prince and Princess of Wales backed the statement.

Timing: The arrest came weeks after police confirmed they were assessing claims from the latest Epstein file release. Nine UK forces are now examining separate allegations. A CPS charging decision is the next trigger.

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The complaint came from Graham Smith, head of the anti-monarchy group Republic — not prosecutors, not a victim.

He spotted emails in the DOJ's January release of 3 million+ pages of Epstein files (forced out by the Transparency Act that Trump signed into law).

Those emails appeared to show Andrew forwarding secret trade reports from a 2010 Southeast Asia tour to Jeffrey Epstein.

Thames Valley Police went from "assessing" to arresting within weeks.

But good luck making it stick. Life in prison sounds scary. This charge almost never lands on anyone important.

Four senior officials have been convicted over the past decade. The rest were prison guards and coppers.

Prosecutors have to prove Andrew knowingly abused his public role — not that he used bad judgment, not that he was reckless.

Knowingly.

That's a high bar when your defence is "I didn't realise forwarding a PDF was a crime."

Sixteen executives, diplomats, and politicians have already resigned over the Epstein files.

Europe moved fast.

The US hasn't touched anyone in government — Trump called Andrew's arrest "a shame" for the royal family without once mentioning Epstein.

Britain just put the king's brother in handcuffs on his birthday.

Virginia Giuffre's family put it plainest: "He was never a prince."

The dominoes are falling.

Whether they stop at the palace gates depends on what prosecutors do next.

Pro: Survivors waited years. This arrest proves the palace doesn't get to investigate itself.

Con: 98% of misconduct convictions hit junior officials, not princes. The legal bar was built for the little people.

Our read: Britain gets credit for acting. But until prosecutors actually charge him, this is a headline, not a verdict.

Crown Prosecution Service: Misconduct in Public Office — Legal Guidance

The actual four-part test prosecutors will use to decide whether to charge Andrew.

Read it before anyone tells you this is open-and-shut.

First royal arrested in 379 years. — PBS News

The Epstein files have brought a wave of resignations and investigations — The running tally of who's gone and who's clinging on. Sixteen and counting. [Report]

Corporate America's Epstein reckoning gathers steam — Goldman Sachs, Hyatt, Paul Weiss. The private sector is moving faster than governments. [Analysis]

Where leaders have and haven't faced fallout for Epstein ties — Country-by-country breakdown. Europe acts, Washington shrugs. [Analysis]

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