By Molly Claire Goddard
2:57pm PST, Mar 5, 2026
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According to royal journalist
Tim Stanley,
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest and ties to
Jeffrey Epstein could ruin the royal family before Prince William and Kate Middleton take over. "They are one scandal away from the whole pack of cards tumbling down," he said during an appearance on the "
Daily T" podcast. "If they were tainted in some way, what would happen? Could [the monarchy] survive?"
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After the U.S. Department of Justice released additional information about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to Jeffrey Epstein, Prince William and Kate Middleton spoke out. "I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims," their representative said in a statement via
People.
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According to public relations and crisis consultant
Mark Borkowski, Prince William and Kate Middleton must "establish the integrity of the royal family" in order to keep it alive. "Really, what do William and Kate [Middleton] do? What do their generation do with the crown, with all its soft power, its affairs of state?" the expert told the
Independent. "It's beginning to feel a little bit like a European monarchy."
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly giving information to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the U.K.'s trade envoy. "Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright confirmed. "It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time."
