By Micah Jonah, February 20, 2026
The British monarchy is once again under intense global scrutiny following the arrest of former Prince, Andrew, over alleged misconduct linked to late American financier, Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew, whose birth name is Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was reportedly arrested and held for several hours before being released by police. The development marks one of the most dramatic episodes involving a senior royal in modern British history.
His arrest comes after his royal title was revoked last year amid controversies surrounding his association with Epstein and civil allegations brought by Virginia Giuffre. The Duke of York has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The unfolding saga adds to a long list of crises that have shaken the British royal family over the decades.
Royal watchers note that the monarchy has weathered repeated storms, from marital breakdowns to media leaks and criminal convictions.
In 1992, the late Elizabeth II famously described the year as her annus horribilis after three of her children’s marriages collapsed. Then Prince Charles III separated from Diana Spencer, while Andrew separated from Sarah Ferguson. Princess Anne also divorced that year.
The period was further rocked by the infamous Squidgygate and Camillagate scandals, which exposed intimate telephone conversations involving Diana and Charles respectively, deepening public disillusionment with the royal household.
In 1995, Diana’s explosive interview on BBC Panorama laid bare the strains in her marriage, including her remark that there were three people in her union with Charles. Two years later, her tragic death in a Paris car crash triggered an unprecedented public outpouring of grief and criticism of the palace’s initial silence.
Other controversies followed. In 2002, Princess Anne became the first senior royal in modern times to receive a criminal conviction after her dog attacked two children. In 2005, Prince Harry sparked outrage after wearing a Nazi costume to a party, prompting a public apology.
The monarchy faced fresh turmoil in 2020 when Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from senior royal duties in a move widely referred to as Megxit. Their subsequent media interviews and Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare revealed deep family tensions and alleged internal conflicts.
The latest controversy involving Andrew now places the royal institution back at the centre of global debate about accountability, privilege and transparency.
While the palace has yet to issue a detailed statement on the arrest, analysts say the development could further test public confidence in an institution that has endured centuries of scrutiny but continues to grapple with modern expectations of responsibility and openness.
