Thames Valley Police have arrested King Charle’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest follows a series of allegations that he shared official government documents, including material reportedly passed to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This comes after earlier claims said he circulated reports from trade visits, forwarded a confidential briefing on investment in Afghanistan and shared a Treasury document with a personal business contact.
Police have not yet disclosed the specific matters under investigation.
Andrew’s royal status is not expected to affect how the case is handled. At the time, he served as the UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. The Department for Business and Trade has noted that the role operated under different rules from those that currently govern trade envoys.
He has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has not responded to requests for comment following the January release of millions of Epstein files.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the law applies equally to all, stating the matter is now a police investigation that should proceed in the normal way.
“And this is now a police investigation and that must happen in the usual way,” he said.
The International Press has reported that neither King Charles nor Buckingham Palace were informed in advance of the arrest.
