The brother of the British monarch was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in a public office following the release of Epstein emails.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of British King Charles III, was released Thursday evening after being detained for 11 hours at his home, according to the Thames Valley Police force.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Thames Valley Police confirmed an arrest on Feb. 19 of a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England, following allegations made against the former prince and Duke of York after the release of millions of pages of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The police force, which oversees districts west of London—including the area of Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence—declined to name the suspect in keeping with standard British practice, but it referred to its earlier statement when asked by The Associated Press to confirm whether the former prince had been arrested.
Photographs that circulated online appeared to show unmarked police cars attending Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and plain-clothed officers appeared to gather outside the home of the former duke on his 66th birthday.
Thames Valley Police said previously that the force was reviewing allegations that an adult woman was trafficked to the UK by Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor and claims that he shared sensitive information with the sex offender while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
Searches are being carried out at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk, the police said.
The former duke was staying at Sandringham after being evicted by his older brother, King Charles, from his previous home at Royal Lodge in Windsor earlier this month.
Police said in a statement before Mountbatten-Windsor was released that on Feb. 19 they “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”
It cautioned, “Remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.”
