UK police arrest King Charles' brother Andrew: reports

King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to Jeffrey ‌Epstein, the BBC reported.

Thames Valley Police said ‌earlier this month that officers were considering allegations ‌that Mountbatten-Windsor had passed confidential documents to the late convicted sex offender, according ‌to files released by the U.S. government.

"Thames Valley Police have opened an investigation into an offence of misconduct in public office," the force said in a statement on X.

"A man ‌in his sixties from Norfolk has been arrested and remains in police custody. As per national guidance, we will not name the arrested man."

In a statement, King Charles III said the matter "is being investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities," adding that "they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation." He also stressed that "the law must take its course."

Earlier, newspapers reported that six unmarked police cars and around eight plainclothes officers had arrived at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in eastern England, where Mountbatten-Windsor, whose 66th birthday falls on Thursday, now lives.

The former prince, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and said he regrets their friendship. But he has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of documents.

Mountbatten-Windsor had been reported to police by the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic following the release of more ‌than 3 million pages of documents relating to Epstein, who was convicted ‌of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

Those files suggested Mountbatten-Windsor had, in 2010, forwarded to Epstein reports about Vietnam, Singapore, and other places he had visited on official trips while serving as a UK special trade envoy.

Thames Valley Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have previously said that they were in discussions about the case. Police said allegations of misconduct in public office, which is a "Common Law" offense and therefore not covered by written statute, involved "particular complexities."

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal and military titles last October and moved out of Royal Lodge. He has since been referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and relocated to alternative private accommodation.

(With input from agencies)