British police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, early Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, a rare and unprecedented legal move involving a former member of the royal family. The arrest was confirmed by Thames Valley Police, which said the investigation centers on allegations that confidential government trade documents were shared with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein more than a decade ago.

Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was detained shortly after dawn at Wood Farm, a residence on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, on the same day as his birthday. Police said coordinated searches were also carried out at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk as part of the ongoing inquiry. In a statement released just after 8 a.m. local time, officers said they had arrested a man in his sixties on suspicion of misconduct in a public office and that he remained in custody while investigations continued.

The force did not publicly identify the suspect, citing national arrest guidelines, but multiple British outlets confirmed the individual as Mountbatten-Windsor. According to police, no charges have yet been filed.

The case stems from a complaint lodged by the anti-monarchy advocacy group Republic, which alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor improperly passed confidential trade reports to Epstein around 2010. At the time, he was serving as the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, a role he held from 2001 to 2011 that involved promoting British commercial interests abroad.

Thames Valley Police said it opened a formal investigation in mid-February after assessing the allegations, which resurfaced amid renewed scrutiny following the release of declassified U.S. court documents related to Epstein. Those files, made public in stages through late 2025 and early 2026, referenced Mountbatten-Windsor's interactions with Epstein but did not introduce new allegations of sexual misconduct connected to this investigation.

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Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, stepped back from public duties in 2019 and was stripped of his remaining royal titles and military affiliations in 2022. The decision followed sustained fallout from his association with Epstein and a civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, which was settled out of court. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied Giuffre's accusations of sexual abuse.

Under British law, the offense of misconduct in a public office carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Prosecutors would need to prove that an officeholder willfully neglected their duties or abused their position in a way that seriously undermined public trust, including the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

A spokesperson for the King said the matter was a police investigation and therefore not appropriate for royal comment, but soon after the Palace posted an statement saying that "the law must take its course".

The development is expected to intensify public scrutiny of the monarchy at a moment when King Charles continues his recovery from cancer treatment announced in 2024.

Public reaction was swift and sharply divided. Social media platforms filled with calls for accountability from critics of the monarchy, while supporters questioned the timing of the arrest and the strength of the evidence. Anti-monarchy activists described the move as a significant step toward ending what they view as institutional impunity.

Police emphasized that the investigation remains active and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward. Authorities said Mountbatten-Windsor has not been formally questioned beyond the initial arrest process.

If pursued, the case would mark one of the most consequential legal actions ever taken against a former senior royal, underscoring the enduring legal and reputational consequences of the Epstein scandal more than a decade after the financier's death in U.S. custody in 2019.

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