Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, has been arrested by UK police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to official statements released on Thursday.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that a man in his sixties from Norfolk was arrested on February 19 in connection with an ongoing investigation. Although authorities did not publicly name the suspect, they declined to comment further when asked directly whether the Duke of York had been detained, referring reporters back to their earlier statement.
Andrew, 66, resides in Norfolk, matching details provided by the police.
In its statement, Thames Valley Police said officers are currently conducting searches at properties in Berkshire and Norfolk as part of the investigation.
“The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance,” the force said.
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Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright disclosed that the investigation was launched following a thorough assessment of the allegations. However, police did not provide details regarding the nature of the suspected misconduct or the timeframe of the alleged offence.
The arrest marks a significant development involving a senior member of the British royal family. Prince Andrew, who previously stepped back from public duties amid earlier controversies, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the latest allegations.
The former prince was at one time the favourite of the late queen, and now it’s the culmination of his slow descent into disgrace.
This is now an active case. According to the Epstein files from the US, evidence shows that Andrew shared and forwarded sensitive information to Epstein.
Buckingham Palace has also not commented on the development as of the time of filing this report.
Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.