Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The former prince was arrested by the Thames Valley Police at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England on his 66th birthday on Thursday. He remains in custody at this time.
This marks the first time Mountbatten-Windsor, who has faced intense scrutiny over his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested. The royal has strenuously and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Representatives for the Thames Valley Police confirmed that they had arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk and revealed that officers are carrying out searches at properties in Norfolk and Berkshire.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his Prince Andrew title in October, moved out of his Royal Lodge home in Windsor, Berskhire and into his brother King Charles III's privately-funded Sandringham Estate earlier this month.
"Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. "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."
Mountbatten-Windsor faced renewed scrutiny over his connection to Epstein after America's Department of Justice (DOJ) released over three million documents related to the late financier in late January.
Certain emails appear to show the 66-year-old sharing confidential British trade documents with Epstein in 2010, while he was serving as a government trade envoy.
A representative for the police force confirmed earlier this month that they were assessing claims about the royal sharing the reports.
At the time, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the King was "ready to support" a police investigation.
"The king has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct," the statement reads.
Previously, Mountbatten-Windsor denied having sex with late accuser Virginia Guiffre when she was a teenager, and they reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022. The agreement contained no admission of guilt.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
