Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been taken into custody under suspicion of misconduct in public office.

This morning, police officers arrived at the residence of King Charles III’s brother, located at Sandringham.

According to a report by the UK Telegraph, a convoy of six unmarked police vehicles and roughly eight officers in plain clothes descended upon Wood Farm shortly after 8 a.m. (7 p.m. AEDT).

The arrest coincides with the 66th birthday of the former prince, who recently relocated to the King’s private estate. This move came after he was compelled to vacate his long-held residence on crown-owned land near Windsor Castle sooner than anticipated.

In an official statement, Thames Valley Police confirmed the charges but did not disclose Mountbatten-Windsor’s name. Nonetheless, British media outlets, including the BBC, have identified the former prince as the individual arrested.

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright stated, “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 offence.

“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”

Multiple forces probe alleged crimes

British police forces confirmed this week they were working together to assess potential alleged crimes revealed in documents from the US Justice Department’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including allegations of wrongdoing by Mountbatten-Windsor, which he has denied.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council, which brings together police leaders from across the UK, said yesterday that it had set up a national coordination group to support forces looking into issues arising from the more than 3 million pages of documents released late last month.

“It may take some time due to the volume of material and the complexity of international jurisdictions, but policing and its law enforcement partners are taking this matter extremely seriously, and will assess all information thoroughly,” the council said in a statement.

While the council didn’t specify the police forces involved in the effort, at least eight have said they are “assessing” information in the files. They are looking into issues ranging from concerns that Epstein’s private jet may have been used in sex trafficking to allegations that the former prince sent confidential reports to the financier when he was Britain’s international trade envoy.

Police in Surrey, the county south of London, on Wednesday said the documents contained allegations of sex trafficking in the village of Virginia Water between 1994 and 1996. The force didn’t provide any details about the alleged perpetrators or victims.

The force encouraged anyone with information about the alleged crimes to contact police.

“Where relevant, and via the national coordination group, we will engage with law enforcement agencies to obtain access to further information which may support our enquiries,” Surrey Police said in a statement.

Another force, Essex Police, said on Tuesday it was assessing information about private flights to and from Stansted Airport following information in the latest document dump.

The Epstein scandal has rocked the royal family and British politics in recent months because of his links to Mountbatten-Windsor, and Peter Mandelson, the UK’s former ambassador to Washington.

King Charles in October stripped his younger brother of his royal titles, including the right to be called a prince, in an effort to insulate the royal family from the continuing revelations about his friendship with Epstein.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was criticised for poor judgment and faced a challenge to his leadership after the documents revealed Mandelson had a closer relationship with Epstein than he acknowledged at the time Starmer sent him to Washington.

– Reported with the Associated Press