Former Prince Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following fresh scrutiny over Epstein ties

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday morning.
• Mountbatten-Windsor has faced intense scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
• King Charles III issued a statement saying, "The law must take its course."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was arrested on Thursday morning, his 66th birthday.

In a statement, the UK's Thames Valley Police said it had arrested "a man in his 60s from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office."

"We are unable to name the arrested man as part of national guidance," it added.

Around two hours after news of the arrest broke, King Charles released a statement saying: "The law must take its course."

"I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office," he added.

"What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation," he said.

Photos showed police at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Thursday, where Mountbatten-Windsor is said to have been living. He previously lived in Windsor, Berkshire.

The police said it was carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.

Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles, was stripped of his royal titles last year amid scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Epstein ties

The latest release of the Epstein files showed more of Mountbatten-Windsor's communications with the convicted sex offender.

In 2010 and 2011, when the former prince was a UK trade envoy, he appeared to forward official reports on his work visits to Epstein.

"Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," said Oliver Wright, assistant chief constable with the Thames Valley Police.

"It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence," he added.

Before the arrest, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC, "Nobody is above the law."

"[The police] will conduct their own investigations, but one of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law," he said.

The last time a senior member of the royal family faced arrest or police action appears to be in 2002. Princess Anne — Mountbatten-Windsor's sister — pleaded guilty under the Dangerous Dogs Act when her English bull terrier bit two children while walking in Windsor Great Park.