A timeline of former Prince Andrew's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, from the Virginia Giuffre lawsuit to his 2026 arrest
Business Insider
February 19, 2026
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Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, marking a significant escalation in his long-standing legal battle tied to Jeffrey Epstein. The arrest comes after years of scrutiny over Andrew's alleged connections to Epstein, who was a convicted sex trafficker. These ties were first reported in 1999 when Ghislaine Maxwell introduced Andrew to Epstein, and their relationship persisted through the early 2000s, with both attending parties at Windsor Castle and Sandringham. The situation intensified after the release of Epstein's files, which showed Andrew forwarding work-related emails to Epstein during his tenure as UK trade envoy in 2010-2011.
The timeline of Andrew's connection to Epstein is deeply intertwined with legal and personal fallout. In April 2015, Virginia Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit against Epstein and Maxwell, naming Andrew as part of her allegations. She accused him of being involved in Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, including encounters when she was underage. While the specific allegations were dismissed by a judge at the time, they resurfaced in 2019 after unsealed court documents revealed new details, including accounts from a witness who described Andrew interacting with Giuffre during a sexual encounter involving a puppet.
Andrew's public image and royal duties have been severely impacted by these revelations. Following an infamous BBC interview in November 2019 where he denied the allegations, numerous charities and organizations severed ties with him. In January 2024, Buckingham Palace stripped him of his military titles and patronages, further isolating him from public life. The release of additional Epstein files in January 2026 included photos of Andrew appearing to interact with an unidentified woman in a compromising position, reigniting calls for accountability.
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/19/2026