Queen's Chaplain Speaks Out as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Arrested for Eptien Files

Queen Elizabeth's Former Chaplain Calls Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Arrest "A Disaster" for the Monarchy

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the 66 year old brother of King Charles III, was arrested on February 19, 2026, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Thames Valley Police detained the former royal at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk at 8 a.m., making him the first senior British royal arrested in nearly 400 years.

The arrest follows the U.S. Department of Justice's release of over three million pages of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in January 2026. The files contain emails suggesting Mountbatten Windsor shared confidential trade reports with Epstein while serving as Britain's special envoy for international trade around 2010.

Among the evidence are emails showing he forwarded sensitive reports about official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore. One email, dated November 2010, appeared to be forwarded just five minutes after he received it. Another showed him sending Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

A chaplain to the late Queen Elizabeth II described the arrest as "a disaster" for the monarchy and the Church of England, which is constitutionally intertwined with the Crown. The chaplain's remarks, published by Premier Christian News, underscore the spiritual and institutional fallout of the scandal.

The law must take its course.

King Charles III issued this statement, pledging full Palace cooperation with authorities.

No one is above the law.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed, calling for cooperation with U.S. authorities investigating the Epstein files.

Mountbatten Windsor was released after approximately 11 hours of questioning. He remains under investigation without charges. Police conducted searches at properties in both Berkshire and Norfolk.

The misconduct in public office charge carries a maximum life sentence, though legal experts note that conviction is difficult to prove and shorter terms are more likely. The Crown Prosecution Service will decide whether to press formal charges using a two stage test examining both the likelihood of conviction and the public interest.

A YouGov poll conducted after the arrest found that 82% of Britons now believe Mountbatten Windsor should be removed from the line of succession. His royal titles were stripped by King Charles in October 2025, though he retains his peerage titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, which would require legislation to remove.

Virginia Giuffre, who had accused Mountbatten Windsor of trafficking related sexual abuse, died by suicide in 2024 at age 41. Her family welcomed the arrest, stating that her fight was "for survivors everywhere."

Church of England Faces Crisis as Royal Arrest Shakes the Foundations of British Christianity

This arrest represents a profound constitutional moment. The British monarch serves as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, making the scandal not merely political but deeply spiritual. With 90% of Britons now holding negative views of Mountbatten Windsor, and 64% still supporting the continuation of the monarchy, the institution faces its most severe test since the abdication crisis of 1936.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what has happened here. A man who walked the corridors of palaces, who shook hands with world leaders in the name of the British Crown, was secretly feeding confidential state information to a convicted child predator. This is not merely a political scandal. This is a betrayal of the sacred trust placed in those who govern under God's authority.

The Church of England is bound to the Crown by constitution. When the Crown is disgraced, the Church is wounded. Every Christian in Britain should be asking: how long did people in positions of power look the other way while children were being abused? And how many more are still hiding behind titles and privilege?

Justice delayed is justice denied, and Virginia Giuffre died waiting for it. May God have mercy on those who enabled this evil, because history will not.

Take Action

• Pray for the survivors of trafficking and abuse connected to the Epstein scandal and for true justice to be served.
• Support organizations fighting human trafficking: The Shepherd's Shield works to protect persecuted Christians and vulnerable communities worldwide.
• Contact your local Member of Parliament and demand that Mountbatten Windsor be formally removed from the line of succession. Find your MP at members.parliament.uk.
• Support survivors of sex trafficking through The Salvation Army's Modern Slavery programme, which provides safe housing and support for victims across the UK.
• Report suspected human trafficking or modern slavery to the UK Modern Slavery Helpline at 08000 121 700 or visit modernslaveryhelpline.org.
• Share this article and start conversations in your church community about the responsibility Christians have to speak up against abuse of power, no matter how high it reaches.