Britain's Crown Prosecution Service confirmed on Wednesday that it is providing formal legal guidance to two separate police forces investigating the former Prince Andrew and former senior Labour minister Peter Mandelson over their alleged connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a significant escalation that brings the UK's independent prosecution authority directly into both cases for the first time.
The CPS's involvement marks a critical procedural step: under British law, early investigative advice from prosecutors signals that a case is considered serious, sensitive, or legally complex enough to require specialist guidance before a charging decision can be made. It does not, however, constitute a charge or guarantee prosecution.
In a formal statement issued Wednesday, a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said:
"We can confirm that we are now providing early investigative advice to the Metropolitan Police Service regarding the force's investigation into a 72-year-old man and will continue to liaise as requested. We can now also confirm that we are providing early investigative advice to Thames Valley Police in relation to a 66-year-old man. We remain ready to support any investigation if needed."
The CPS declined to name either individual publicly. Multiple UK news outlets — including The Guardian, the Mirror, and i News — confirmed Wednesday that the 72-year-old referenced in the Metropolitan Police probe is Peter Mandelson, 72, the former UK ambassador to the United States. The 66-year-old referenced in the Thames Valley Police inquiry is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
According to i News, the CPS can be engaged early by police to advise on what categories of evidence to gather and whether a potential case could proceed to court. "Early investigative advice is not the same as making a charging decision," i News noted. "Providing early advice does not always lead to a full file coming back to the CPS."
Both men were arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office — a serious criminal offence in England and Wales — and subsequently released under investigation, meaning they remain subject to active scrutiny without bail conditions.
Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on February 19, 2026. The force said in a statement that the arrest was connected to allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential documents with Epstein during his time as the United Kingdom's special representative for international trade and investment — a role he held from 2001 to 2011.
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement obtained by NBC News: "Thames Valley Police is leading the ongoing assessment of allegations relating to misconduct in public office. This specifically relates to documents within the United States Department of Justice's Epstein Files."
The Metropolitan Police arrested Peter Mandelson on February 23, 2026, over separate allegations that he disclosed sensitive government information to Epstein while serving as Business Secretary in Gordon Brown's cabinet.
Both men have denied any wrongdoing.
The cases trace directly to the DOJ's release of millions of pages of Epstein-related documents in January 2026. According to reporting by NBC News, which reviewed the relevant files, documents from the latest Epstein release appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor sending Epstein reports on his visits to Southeast Asia and information about investment opportunities in Afghanistan in an email dated November 30, 2010 — when Mountbatten-Windsor was serving as a UK trade envoy. Trade envoys are barred under confidentiality rules from sharing sensitive or commercial documents.
In Mandelson's case, emails from 2009 visible in the Epstein files appear to show the then-Business Secretary passing on an assessment by Gordon Brown's adviser of potential government policy measures, including what the documents describe as an "asset sales plan." Additional emails from 2010 appear to show Mandelson discussing a proposed tax on bankers' bonuses and confirming details of an imminent eurozone bailout package — the day before it was publicly announced, according to the Mirror. These communications were sent to Epstein after he had already been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
Mandelson lost his position as UK ambassador to the United States in September 2025, and resigned from the House of Lords in February 2026, over his ties to Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles and given notice to vacate the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor, which he had occupied on a peppercorn rent, according to The Guardian.
The CPS announcement lands at a politically sensitive moment: it was confirmed this week that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will proceed with a state visit to the United States in late April 2026 — despite the ongoing UK–Iran conflict and calls from some British politicians who described the trip as a potential "humiliation," according to The Guardian.
It is understood that Charles and Camilla will be unable to meet with Epstein victims during the trip while police investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor remain active.
US Congressman Ro Khanna wrote to King Charles on Monday urging him to meet privately with survivors during the visit. Speaking on BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, the family of Virginia Giuffre — one of the most prominent Epstein survivors, who died by suicide last year — also "strongly" urged the King to meet with victims, per The Guardian.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to say whether there was a "moral case" for the King to meet with victims when asked by reporters. Starmer said the "focus of the visit" would be on the 250th anniversary of American independence, according to The Guardian.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier this week that King Charles is "ready to support" police if they approach him, and that he "has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light." A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the Prince and Princess of Wales "have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations" and that their thoughts remained "focused on the victims."
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley raised the issue of unredacted Epstein documents during a visit to Washington last week, calling on US authorities to share them with UK investigators. On Tuesday, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie publicly agreed with that position. In a statement to NBC News, Massie said he believed the Department of Justice should share the unredacted evidence with UK officials.
The National Police Chiefs' Council separately announced on Tuesday that its response to the DOJ document release would be "stepped up." The NPCC said a dedicated group would examine the "scale, scope and nature of any potential UK-based VAWG [violence against women and girls] offending within the files" and had invited alleged UK-based victims of Epstein who had spoken to British media to come forward.
Legal analysts tracking the cases have noted that the CPS's formal entry into both inquiries — even at the advisory stage — is not routine. Early investigative advice is typically sought in cases prosecutors themselves consider potentially viable and legally complex. The CPS advises police on what evidence to collect and whether the legal threshold for a criminal charge could ultimately be met, but the decision to charge remains separate and later.
Both Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson remain released under investigation — a status that can persist for months or years under British law. No charges have been brought against either man as of April 1, 2026.