President Donald Trump called the arrest of former Prince Andrew a “very sad thing” after he was taken into police custody on Thursday, Feb. 1

President Donald Trump called the arrest of former Prince Andrew a “very sad thing” after he was taken into police custody on Thursday, Feb. 19.

“I think it’s a shame. I think it’s very sad,” Trump, 79, said when asked about Andrew’s arrest. “I think it’s so bad for the royal family. It’s very, very sad. To me, it’s a very sad thing.”

Trump also said King Charles was coming to the United States “very soon,” calling the monarch a “fantastic man.” There’s speculation that King Charles will travel for a state visit this spring.

King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton recently spent time with Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, during the couple’s unprecedented second state visit to the U.K. in September 2025.

On Thursday, at 8 a.m. local time, the former Duke of York, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested by police on his 66th birthday at the royal family’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, the BBC reported. Authorities are investigating Andrew following allegations that he shared confidential information with the late Jeffrey Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the U.K., according to the outlet. Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his ties with Epstein, the late convicted sex offender.

About 11 hours after his arrest, Andrew left the Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk and was photographed in the backseat of a vehicle.

The Thames Valley Police issued an updated statement confirming the release of a “man in his sixties from Norfolk,” although Andrew was not named. “The arrested man has now been released under investigation,” they said.

Police added that their searches in Norfolk had concluded, but searches in Berkshire, where Andrew’s former home of Royal Lodge is located, were still underway. The BBC reported earlier in the day that Andrew’s homes were being searched.

Hours after Andrew’s arrest, King Charles issued a statement through Buckingham Palace.

“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” the king said. “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.

“In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation,” he continued, in part. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”

Author Russell Myers tells PEOPLE that the arrest is “a gravely serious situation, not only for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but the monarchy at large.”

“Questions will rightly be asked if the Institution has any role in protecting or turning a blind eye to anything that Andrew stands accused of,” Myers, who penned William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, continues. “It is therefore right, as the King says, the ‘full fair and proper process must be allowed to take place in order to find the truth.’ ”

Referring to the fact that several different police forces in the U.K. are assessing claims and allegations about Andrew, he adds that it “will pile further pressure on Andrew to speak to U.S. investigators probing Epstein’s crimes.”

The former royal is far from the first big name to be linked to Epstein. In fact, Trump’s friendship with the late American financier has often been questioned. After much outcry, the Department of Justice has released large batches of files to the public. A New York Times review found more than 5,300 files that referenced the president and related terms, according to a report from earlier this month. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in his ties to Epstein.

A batch of files released by the department in January prompted the anti-monarchy group Republic to bring forward a complaint against Andrew, which reported King Charles’ brother for “suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets,” the BBC previously reported.

Republic argued that emails between Andrew and Epstein showed that the British prince shared confidential documents with Epstein relating to his role as the U.K.’s special representative for international trade and investment, a post he held from 2001 to 2011.