Prince Andrew was detained on his 66th birthday amid allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein and the suspected disclosure of confidential trade information.
The disgraced royal was taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, reportedly for passing sensitive trade documents to Epstein, the convicted sex offender.
Early that morning, at least six unmarked police vehicles and roughly eight plainclothes officers arrived at Sandringham Estate in eastern England, coinciding with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s birthday.
If found guilty of the misconduct offense, he could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
One officer was seen carrying a police-issued laptop after arriving at around 8 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET).
An unmarked police car left the property around 30 minutes later. Another police car and a vehicle believed to contain Andrew’s security team also left Sandringham.
Andrew remains in custody, a Thames Valley police spokesperson said.
Thames Valley police — the force that patrols the area encompassing his former home, Royal Lodge — also conducted a search at a Berkshire property.
Andrew was reported to Thames Valley Police earlier this month over alleged misconduct in public office.
An anti-monarchy campaigner had reported him after documents in the Epstein files allegedly showed he had shared trade documents with Epstein.
Trade envoys must keep details about their trips confidential – even when they are no longer in the post under the Official Secrets Act.
Thames Valley police confirmed they were consulting with prosecutors over whether to launch a criminal investigation.
UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said “nobody is above the law” when questioned about Andrew voluntarily speaking with the police.
“I think that’s a matter for the police,” he told the BBC on Thursday.
“They 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.
“It’s a very important principle of our country… and it has to apply in this case in the same way it would in any other case.”
Andrew’s arrest also follows numerous UK police forces saying they were investigating evidence within the trove of Department of Justice-released files.
A total of 87 flights linked to Epstein arrived or departed from UK airports from the early 1990s to 2018.
Andrew was initially investigated over long-standing claims by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre that she was made to have sex with him three times — starting when she was 17 — on orders from Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.