Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince and King Charles’ brother, was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
According to the BBC, vehicles believed to be unmarked police cars arrived to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk early Thursday — Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday — where the disgraced royal has been living since he was ordered to leave his Windsor home following further revelations about his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He is currently in custody as further searches are carried out in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The arrest comes after the Thames Valley Police said they were investigating a complaint that alleged the former prince had shared confidential material with Epstein. It marks the first time a modern British royal has been arrested.
“As part of the investigation, we have today arrested a man in his 60s 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,” a statement from Thames Valley Police said via BBC News. “We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.”
Added assistant chief constable Oliver Wright, “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title in October over his ties to Epstein, and was mentioned and pictured many times in the over 3 million pages of documents — known as the Epstein files — released by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this month.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who had a longtime friendship with Epstein and maintained contact with him after his 2008 conviction of procuring a child for prostitution, has previously apologized and denied any wrongdoing. However, he has recently faced renewed scrutiny as the new documents included a photo of him that appears to be with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was forced to have sex with him as a teenager, which he had insisted was doctored. In 2022, he reached a settlement with Giuffre that did not include any apology or admission of liability. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025.
Earlier this month, Prince William and Kate Middleton released a statement about the latest Epstein documents. “I can confirm the Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations,” a spokesperson said. “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”