The royal family is facing its most damaging scandal yet, with a disgraced former prince threatening to bring the monarchy to its knees.
On Thursday, U.K. police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former Duke of York’s ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein were cited as a factor in the investigation.
Thames Valley Police told Fox News Digital that Andrew, who was arrested on his 66th birthday, was released later that evening after being held for several hours. Authorities continue to search his former home, Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion in Windsor.
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Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that King Charles III faces the biggest test of his reign — one that could redefine his legacy as monarch.
“This is the biggest crisis facing Buckingham Palace and the royal family,” he said. “It’s a major blow to the monarchy, driven by the anti-monarchist group Republic, which pressed police to open an investigation.”
Charles has reportedly been “tense” behind palace doors as he tries to focus on his royal duties.
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“Behind the scenes, the royals must be extremely worried that more damaging information could leak, and that Andrew might reveal secrets about The Firm to seek leniency if the case goes to court,” Turner said. “His police protection team once nicknamed him ‘Blabbermouth,’ because he talked about everything.”
“This whole saga could bring the monarchy down, leaving William furious regarding his own future,” said Turner. “Britain is listening intensely to the drip-feeding of sex allegations. It could be one of the main reasons why William took a PR troubleshooter onto his staff to deal with matters like this.”
It’s the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal has been arrested. Andrew was previously stripped of his royal titles over his connection to Epstein, the late American financier and convicted sex offender.
While Queen Elizabeth II followed the motto “never complain, never explain,” King Charles III took the step of publicly addressing his brother’s arrest.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”
Fox News Digital understands that William and his wife, Kate Middleton, support the king’s message.
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“The consensus among the family and palace officials, I think, is frustration over being unable to speak publicly against Andrew,” royal commentator Amanda Matta told Fox News Digital.
“Their playbook has long been based on the late queen’s informal policy of staying out of matters until the courts or another governing body ruled. One royal insider told me this week that the queen only ‘spoke when no one else could rebut.’ That approach served her well, but it’s been less effective in meeting public expectations under Charles.”
“The king has indicated, sometimes through his calculated silence, that as soon as the courts make a decision, then Andrew will be swiftly dealt with,” Matta shared. “Unless or until that happens, he really does feel that he’s done all he can within existing precedent.”
According to multiple reports, Buckingham Palace wasn’t informed in advance of Andrew’s morning arrest, though the U.K. government received prior notice. Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News Digital that was “surprising,” given the arrest occurred on the monarch’s private property.
“If the monarchy thinks they can go back to business as usual right now, I think they’re in for a rude awakening,” Constant warned. “Based on what we’ve seen during other crises, they are most likely playing defense rather than offense.”
“There are still questions about what the monarchy knew of Andrew’s actions, and when,” she said. “Will the British media hold Buckingham Palace accountable and press for answers, or continue echoing palace talking points? That’s the question.”
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“We’ll continue to see sources close to Prince William convey that the future king would have taken a stronger stance on Andrew. He has to be careful not to step on his father’s toes, though, however eager his team is to protect the positive, modern image of the future king, whether that’s based in reality or not.”
Nothing threatens a monarchy faster than questions about money — and that’s where pressure could mount for the king, Constant said.
“If anything is going to challenge the stability of the monarchy, it’s questions around finances,” she explained. “Did Andrew use his position as U.K. trade envoy to enrich himself and others? Does it in any way implicate his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who attended business trips with their father when he was a trade envoy?”
“King Charles made a bold move by welcoming Andrew’s daughters back into the royal fold. It likely seemed wise at the time — to separate the family further from Andrew — but it may come back to haunt him later.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that the British public is demanding accountability now more than ever. All eyes, she said, will be on the king and his next move.
“The royal family is hoping to stem the flow of public fury,” she explained. “King Charles has previously been accused of not getting ahead of the curve, dragging his feet by not acting quickly enough regarding the Andrew fallout. The king, along with the rest of the family, is trying to navigate the outcry.”
“The avalanche of alleged Andrew revelations has shaken confidence in the monarchy’s future stability,” said Chard. “However, this is a bumpy journey.”
Police previously told Fox News Digital they were “assessing” reports that Andrew sent trade information to Epstein in 2010, when he was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released last month by the U.S. Department of Justice, along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.
Authorities noted the allegations under investigation on Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. The American woman said she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001, when she was 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year.
Giuffre’s family praised the arrest, telling Fox News Digital in a statement that their “broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”
“He was never a prince,” said the family. “For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
On Oct. 30, the king stripped his disgraced brother of his princely title and evicted him from Royal Lodge. Andrew is temporarily staying at Wood Farm cottage on the king’s Sandringham estate.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein.