The former GMB star left the hosts of Fox & Friends in what appeared to be a state of disbelief.

17:59, 19 Feb 2026Updated 18:31, 19 Feb 2026

The hosts of Fox & Friends

Piers Morgan spoke about Andrew on US morning show Fox & Friends today(Image: FOX NEWS)

Piers Morgan appeared on US breakfast TV today to explain what he called the “absolute bombshell” of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest after cops swooped on his Sandringham home on his birthday this morning. However, the hosts struggled to understand one point in the saga, which former GMB man Piers admitted “sounds preposterous”.

Speaking on morning news show Fox & Friends about the arrest to hosts Lawrence Jones, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade, he explained: “It is an absolute bombshell. I mean, to put this in context, there has been no member of the Royal Family arrested in my lifetime. I’m 60 years old. You have to go back centuries to the last time that a member of the British Royal Family was arrested.”

Piers Morgan on This Morning

Piers Morgan, seen here on This Morning, called today’s events an ‘absolute bombshell'(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

He continued: “This is the King’s brother who remains eighth in line to the throne so this is, like I say, an absolute bombshell. Not completely surprising because I think the tone of the King’s statement last week clearly opened the door for the police to make a move.”

Sounding shocked by what he’d just heard, Jones said: “Piers, just to be clear for those of us who don’t understand – even though his Royal titles were taken away, even though he was kicked out of the Palace and all the state, he’s not receiving a salary from the government, from the people any more, he still remains in the line of succession?”

Piers replied: “Yeah I know it sounds preposterous but that is the current state of play. Now I think it’s very fanciful that he would ever accede to the throne under any circumstances and I think increasingly that is going to ruled out anyway by the sequence of events.”

The journalist, who fronts his Uncensored show on YouTube after leaving GMB in 2021, added: “I have never seen a bigger threat to the future of the monarchy than what is unfurling right now.”

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The line of succession denotes the order in which the Royals will become King or Queen – with the Crown passing to the person at the top of the list when the monarch dies. The first in line currently is Prince William, followed by his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Fifth in line is Prince Harry then his children Prince Archie and Princess Lilbet. Andrew – who is the Queen second eldest child – is eighth in line, followed by his daughter Princess Beatrice and her children.

Prince Andrew

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly Prince Andrew – was arrested on his 66th birthday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Thames Valley Police took the former Duke of York into custody this morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Eight unmarked cars were seen arriving at Andrew’s temporary residence, Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate at 8am.

Three vehicles, including a Range Rover that is believed to be Andrew’s private car, left the address via the same back road at 8.50am. Police will now have the power to search his homes and put formal questions to him in an interview. The Crown Prosecution Service will then have to make a decision about charging him.

Police have been carrying out searches at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and at the Royal Lodge estate, around three miles south of Windsor Castle.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that a number of police forces around the UK have launched probes into Andrew and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The National Crime Agency revealed it was supporting UK police forces investigating information in the Epstein files, to “enable a full and independent assessment of the information released”.

Andrew, who today marks his 66th birthday, has not commented on today’s developments but has always denied allegations of any wrongdoing.