Keeping calm and carrying on, the royal family weathers worst crisis in
generations
[February 21, 2026]
By DANICA KIRKA
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III’ s brother was under arrest. Police were
searching two royal properties, and news commentators were endlessly
discussing the details of a sex scandal with tentacles that stretched to
the gates of Buckingham Palace.
So how did Britain’s royal family spend Thursday afternoon? The king sat
in the front row on the first day of London Fashion Week. Queen Camilla
attended a lunchtime concert, and Princess Anne visited a prison.
The decision to continue normal royal duties was more than just an
example of British stoicism in the face of the monarchy’s biggest crisis
in almost a century. It was the opening act of the House of Windsor’s
fight for survival as the arrest of the former Prince Andrew threatens
to undermine public backing for the monarchy.
After pledging to support the police investigation into his brother's
friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the
king stressed his intentions.
“My family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all,” he
said in a statement signed “Charles R.,” using the abbreviation for Rex,
the Latin word for king.
Biggest crisis since 1936 abdication
The simple fact that Charles made the statement showed the scale of the
problem created by the arrest of the king’s 66-year-old sibling, now
known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was held for 11 hours and then
released under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor
exonerated.
The event was so unprecedented that commentators had to reach back to
the 1640s and the arrest and execution of King Charles I during the
English Civil War to find a parallel.
Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office
is shaping up to be the monarchy’s biggest crisis since Edward VIII
abdicated in 1936 to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.
That scandal weakened public support for the monarchy, which did not
fully recover for 15 years. The turnaround came only after Edward’s
successor, King George VI, refused to flee Britain during World War II,
demonstrating his solidarity with a nation ravaged by Nazi bombs.
Even before she ascended the throne, Queen Elizabeth II followed her
father’s lead and publicly pledged her life in service to Britain.
But while the impact of Edward’s abdication lingered for years, the
crisis reached a crescendo in a few days. And the solution in that case
was relatively simple: Edward stepped aside, and his oldest brother took
his place.
By contrast, the drama surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor is ongoing, with
no end in sight.
No ‘clear route forward’
The current crisis stems from revelations about the relationship between
the former prince and Epstein that were uncovered when the U.S. Justice
Department released millions of pages of documents last month from its
investigation into Epstein.
Police have previously cited reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade
information to Epstein, a wealthy investor, in 2010, when the former
prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.
At least eight U.K. police forces have said they are looking into issues
raised by the documents.
Compared with previous royal scandals, "this time there doesn’t seem to
be any clear route forward,’’ said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth:
Can the Monarchy Save Itself?” “There’s no blueprint to follow” in terms
of how the monarchy and associated organizations deal with the
allegations.
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Artist Kaya Mar sposes with the newest edition of his paintings for
the media in front of Buckingham Palace, London, Friday, Feb. 20,
2026 after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and held for
hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office
related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The last time the monarchy had to manage these kinds of questions
was after the death of Princess Diana, Charles’ ex-wife. Elizabeth
and Charles were criticized for failing to respond to the outpouring
of public grief as tens of thousands of people swarmed to Kensington
Gardens to lay flowers outside the late princess’ home. Some even
called for Charles to step aside as heir to the throne in favor of
his son William.
The queen later commissioned focus groups to better understand the
public mood and determine why people felt so strongly about a person
they never met. The crisis forced the royals to recognize that
Diana’s common touch had connected with people in ways that had not
yet occurred to the House of Windsor.
Those lessons have since inspired other royals, including Diana’s
sons, Princes William and Harry, to be more informal and
approachable.
But this moment is different, in part because it is taking place in
a rapidly changing media environment at a time when people are
demanding transparency from their leaders.
Family could face uncomfortable questions
Moving forward also means facing uncomfortable questions about what
the institution — and the family members themselves — may have known
about Mountbatten-Windsor’s activities. The palace has sought to
draw a bold line separating the former prince and the rest of the
monarchy by stripping him of his titles, including the right to be
called a prince.
In another blow for the former prince, the British government is
considering formally removing him from the line of succession to the
crown. Despite losing his status and his honors, Andrew remains
eighth in line to the throne. That can only be changed with
legislation.
Charles is the first monarch “that has to meet our expectations of
figures in public life, which is to be accountable and to explain
yourself,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway,
University of London. “And you always have to work to earn the
support of the public. And that is a particular challenge when
you’re facing a controversy such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.”
Critics argue that the monarchy was slow to respond to the pressure,
given that Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have been
discussed for more than a decade.
The best outcome for the monarchy is for the police investigation to
focus solely on the information in the Epstein files and how that
relates to Mountbatten-Windsor, said Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal
correspondent. The worst outcome would be if police expand their
inquiries to what the broader institution might have known and when.
"Were questions raised about his behavior as a trade envoy over
those 10 years? Were they answered? What did people do about them?’’
Hunt said on the BBC.
And perhaps there's more to learn.
“Will there be files?’’ he asked.
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