Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, BBC reports
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- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday morning, the BBC said.
- UK Thames Valley Police confirmed it has arrested a man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
- Mountbatten-Windsor has faced intense scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
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.
The police also said it was carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
Photos showed police at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor is said to have been living. He previously lived in Windsor, Berkshire.
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Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, was stripped of his royal titles last year amid scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
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.
A spokesperson for Mountbatten-Windsor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"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.