It was like a nuclear explosion. First is the impact, then the mushroom cloud, followed by the fallout. For the first time in the 1,000-year history of the British monarchy, a close member of the royal family was arrested for alleged criminal conduct. Where it is going and how it will end is anyone’s guess.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (AMW), previously known as Prince Andrew, was arrested on 19 February for possible ‘misconduct in public office’. This stems from his past relationship with disgraced financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. As of yet, Andrew has not been charged with any crime, but neither has he been cleared either. Multiple police investigations are underway.
Born into immense wealth and privilege, until last year, Andrew had known only royal life. Yet on the day of his arrest, 19 February 2026, he was treated like a common man. Pronounced under arrest, his two residences - Royal Lodge (Windsor) and Wood Farm (Sandringham) - were searched, and all electronic devices confiscated. There was also the mug shot. It happened to be his sixty-sixth birthday, and he spent eleven hours of it in police custody.
The Andrew-Epstein saga has been in the public eye for years. A disastrous 2019 BBC interview meant to settle the issue with the public only inflamed it. Then came Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of sexual trafficking, who made repeated accusations that Andrew had multiple sexual encounters with her while she was underage. The then-royal claimed he didn’t remember even meeting her. A civil suit launched by Giuffre was settled out of court, with Andrew paying a large, undisclosed donation to her charity without making an admission of liability or wrongdoing.
Growing public disapproval of Andrew led the then Queen Elizabeth II, followed by King Charles III, to begin the process of stripping Andrew of titles, styles, and honours. He was no longer HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. This decoupling of man from titles happened over a period of three years. At this point, it appears that Andrew is still eighth in the line of succession.
After Andrew’s arrest, the nation was looking to King Charles to say something. He did.
‘In this, as I have said before, they (the police) have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation. Let me state clearly the law must take its course.
As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.
Meanwhile, my family and I will continue our duty and service to you all. Charles R.
So What Went Wrong?
Andrew’s arrest had less to do with Virginia Giuffre's accusations and more with Epstein himself. Under public pressure, the Trump Administration recently released the Epstein files, three and a half million pieces of previously confidential information. Andrew is mentioned often in the files, but that alone is not evidence of wrongdoing.
What raised suspicion is that Andrew, in his public capacity as a UK trade envoy. He was allegedly passing on sensitive confidential information on to Epstein, by then a convicted pedophile, sometimes within minutes of receiving it himself. This is what is meant by misconduct in public office, and a conviction can lead to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
It must be stressed that at this time, no charges have been issued, Andrew denies any wrongdoing, and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence if and until proven guilty.
What does it mean?
It will take a while to process all that is happening, and we are still in the early days. But we will briefly look at three issues:
The Monarchy
Several pundits say this could … or will … bring down the monarchy. A thousand-year-old crown does not topple easily; the monarchy is not like a Ming vase that must be handled with care. The issues include what did the palace know and when they know it? How did they respond before and how will they do so now? They must be seen as above reproach, cooperative with authorities and no cover-up.
The Bigger Picture
Andrew was one of many rich and famous people associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Politicians, academics, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and Wall Street, more were ensnared in his nefarious web. Until now, none have been indicted or convicted (except Epstein himself and Ghislaine Maxwell). With the release of the Epstein files and Andrew’s arrest, will more dominoes fall? Will the global elite who rig the system, play by their own rules, never be accountable, and despise the common man, fall from grace as Andrew did?
The Spiritual Side
If you want to grow in grace and not be a scandal-prone headline ready to happen, embrace the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:20; 16:6). Remember these sobering words from Jesus:
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad - Luke 8:17
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned - Matthew 12:36-37
If you ever need a reason to seek divine grace, these verses give it to you.
Can a person who does not have grace, or lost it, find it again? The good news? Yes!
Do you want to rise in grace rather than fall? God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6). Humility is acknowledging a need for, dependence on, and desire for God. Pride and arrogance reject all these things, thus missing out on God’s grace
Here’s a secret. To go from falling from grace to growing in grace, remember these three things:
Humility, faith in the gospel, and repentance from pride. Do these things and your chances of gaining grace are one-hundred percent.
Grace brings hope for all who fall.
As John Newton wrote in his much-loved hymn, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, and now am found, was blind but now I see.
Photo Courtesy of Chatham House, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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