Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of British Monarch King Charles III, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and is in police custody, The Associated Press reported.
Thames Valley Police confirmed an arrest on Feb. 19 of a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England, following allegations made against the former prince and Duke of York, after the release of millions of pages of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The police force, which oversees districts west of London—including the area of Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence—declined to name the suspect in keeping with standard British practice, but referred to its earlier statement when asked by The Associated Press to confirm whether the former prince had been arrested.
Photographs circulated online appeared to show unmarked police cars attending Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plain-clothed officers appearing to gather outside the home of the former duke on his 66th birthday.
Thames Valley Police said previously the force was reviewing allegations that an adult woman was trafficked to the UK by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor, and claims he shared sensitive information with the sex offender while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, the police said.
Prince Andrew Stripped of Titles, Evicted From Royal Residence The former duke was staying at Sandringham after being evicted by his older brother, King Charles, from his previous home at Royal Lodge in Windsor earlier this month.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement that on Feb. 19 they “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”
“The man remains in police custody at this time,” they said.
“We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance.”
The statement cautioned, “remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.”
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said, “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.”
No longer an official member of the Royal Family and effectively a commoner, the former duke was reported to police by the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic following the release of the latest files relating to Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
The latest tranche of files released on Jan. 30 by the U.S. Department of Justice suggested Mountbatten-Windsor had in 2010 forwarded to Epstein reports about Singapore, Vietnam, and other places he had visited on official trips in his capacity as trade envoy.
The king said that “the law must take its course,” after expressing his “deepest concern” over the arrest of his brother.
In a statement issued through Buckingham Palace, the king acknowledged the arrest of his brother and said, “As I have said before, [the police] have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
He added that “the law must take its course.”
The Palace said previously it would “stand ready to support” the police if approached over the claims made against the former duke, and that the “thoughts and utmost sympathies” of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, “have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
The former duke was stripped of his titles by the king following revelations concerning the extent of his friendship and communications with the sex offender after the posthumous release of a book by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, when she was a teenager.
In 2022, the former duke settled a lawsuit with Giuffre, who accused him of having sex with her when she was 17, after they were introduced by Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor said he has no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre, who was the most high-profile campaigner for Epstein’s victims before her sudden death in Western Australia in April 2025.
The former duke is the first senior British royal in modern history to have been arrested. Mountbatten-Windsor is more than a decade younger than the 77-year-old monarch.
The late Queen Elizabeth II insisted that the former duke step down from public life following the scandal that dogged him over the allegations made by Giuffre and his appearance on a BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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By Independent News Roundup