Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew and brother of King Charles III, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor comes on the same day that the former prince turns 66 years old.
Cars seen arriving at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk earlier
At the moment, we still don’t know which force has arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but vehicles – believed to be unmarked police cars – were seen earlier this morning at Sandringham in Norfolk, where he has been living since leaving his home in Windsor.
This is the first time the former prince, who has faced numerous allegations over this links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested.
Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
BBC News understand he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
We do not know the particulars of this arrest but as soon as we have more detail we will bring it to you.
Police statement in full as Andrew arrested
We’ve now seen a statement from Thames Valley police, which says:
“As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
“The man remains in police custody at this time.
“We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.”
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.
“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.”
Everything we know about Andrew’s arrest so far
In the last few minutes we have learned that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested. Here are the key details.
- Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew, who turns 66 today, earlier this morning
- The former prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and he is in custody
- Police are searching addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk
- Thames Valley Police said he was arrested after a “thorough assessment”, with an investigation now opened
