Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, marking the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior member of Britain’s royal family has been detained by police.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday morning at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk as part of an investigation into his past dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The arrest came on his 66th birthday and was first confirmed in a police statement reported by TIME and Reuters.
Police are investigating allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive government information with Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, according to reporting by Sky News.
Officers from multiple UK police agencies were involved in the operation. Investigators searched Wood Farm in Norfolk and Royal Lodge in Windsor, the former prince’s previous residence, according to Reuters and The Guardian.
The inquiry follows the release of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice related to Epstein’s network. The files reportedly include emails that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor sharing reports from official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, as well as a confidential briefing on investment opportunities linked to reconstruction efforts in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, according to TIME.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied all wrongdoing, maintaining that he never witnessed or suspected any criminal behaviour by Epstein.
After nearly twelve hours of questioning, Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed leaving Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk later the same day. The Guardian reported that he was released under investigation after being held for several hours.
In a statement issued the same day, King Charles III expressed his “deepest concern” about the arrest but said “the law must take its course”, adding that authorities had the royal family’s “full and wholehearted support and cooperation.” The statement was widely reported by BBC News and other outlets, according to compiled reporting.
Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales are understood to support the King’s position. Reports also indicated Buckingham Palace was not given advance warning of the arrest, though the Home Office was notified shortly beforehand, according to The Guardian’s live coverage of the investigation.
Thames Valley Police confirmed the detention of “a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” adding that he had been released while investigations continue. The Crown Prosecution Service said its lawyers had spoken with detectives but had not yet issued formal early investigative advice.
Under English law, misconduct in public office is a common law offence involving the serious abuse or neglect of public authority and can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The arrest follows growing scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein. Months earlier, he was stripped of his royal titles amid pressure over those connections, though he remains eighth in the line of succession to the British throne.
Public reaction was swift. The family of Virginia Giuffre — who died by suicide in 2025 — said the arrest showed “no one is above the law.”
Maria Farmer, one of the first people to report Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to authorities, described the arrest as “the beginning of accountability and justice.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump called the situation “a shame” and “very sad for the Royal family,” according to several international media reports.
The case has also sparked political debate across the Commonwealth about Mountbatten-Windsor’s place in the line of succession. Mark Carney recently called for his removal, describing the alleged actions as “deplorable,” according to The Guardian and The Times.
Support for potential removal has also come from Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon, who have both indicated their governments would support such a move if pursued by the United Kingdom.
The British government has confirmed it is considering legislation to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, which would permanently prevent him from becoming monarch.
Any removal would require an Act of Parliament, approval by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and royal assent from King Charles III. It would also require the agreement of the 14 Commonwealth realms where the monarch remains head of state.
The last time legislation removed someone from the line of succession was in 1936, when Edward VIII and his descendants were excluded following his abdication.
Buckingham Palace has not commented publicly on the government’s consideration of legislation, and the police investigation remains ongoing.