Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince and brother of King Charles III, was arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest, which coincided with his 66th birthday, follows a formal investigation into his past role as a UK trade envoy.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that a man in his 60s from Norfolk had been detained, though they noted that national guidelines prevented them from officially naming the individual. Police operations included searches at addresses in both Norfolk and Berkshire, reports British media.
Photographs from the scene showed officers at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor has been residing since moving from his former home in Windsor.
The investigation was launched following what Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright described as a “thorough assessment” of allegations.
“It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence,” Wright stated.
The allegations are linked to the ongoing fallout from the Epstein files. Recent disclosures suggest that during 2010 and 2011, while serving as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom, Mountbatten-Windsor allegedly shared official reports concerning his overseas work visits with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles last year due to the intense scrutiny surrounding his association with Epstein. A spokesperson for the former prince did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment following the arrest.
Commenting on the development, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC that the police must be allowed to conduct their investigations independently. “One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law,” Starmer said.
