Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday on suspicion of committing misconduct in public office, two British officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The Thames Valley Police said that it arrested a man in his 60s from Norfolk, in eastern England, and was carrying out searches at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire, and that he remains in police custody.
“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. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
The statement did not identify the arrested man “as per national guidance,” but the two British officials confirmed that it was Mountbatten-Windsor.
The BBC reported that he was arrested at Sandringham Estate. Mountbatten-Windsor moved from his longtime home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, to temporary accommodations at the estate, which is owned by his brother King Charles III, after he was stripped of his titles last year. He has long denied any wrongdoing.
The specifics of the allegations being investigated by police were not immediately clear. Thames Valley Police is the local law enforcement agency responsible for Windsor.
Photographs published by local media Thursday morning showed a buzz of activity at Sandringham, including unmarked cars parked by the perimeter of a fence.
In a phone interview Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police refused to comment on reports of Mountbatten’s arrest.
For weeks, Mountbatten-Windsor has come under increasing pressure in Britain as the U.S. Justice Department’s newly released Epstein files appeared to offer further evidence of a long-running relationship between the two.
This month, the anti-monarchy group Republic said some of those unearthed documents had prompted it to file a complaint with Thames Valley Police, alleging an offense of misconduct in public office. At the time, police confirmed they had received the complaint and were assessing it, the BBC reported.
According to a copy of the complaint shared by the group, unearthed emails from 2010 appeared to show Mountbatten-Windsor corresponding with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein about information he had received in his capacity as a trade envoy of the British government.
Mountbatten-Windsor served as a U.K. trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, when the BBC reported that he stepped down.
It was not immediately clear whether the arrest was made in relation to that complaint.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, misconduct in public office relates to the serious abuse or neglect of power or responsibilities. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace did not respond immediately to requests for comment Thursday. This month, Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales said they were “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations.”
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