British broadcasters reported on Thursday that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in connection with his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
BBC TV said the arrest was made after law enforcement officers arrived at Wood Farm, a residence on the Sandringham estate in eastern England. Earlier press accounts described six unmarked police cars and about eight plainclothed officers attending the property earlier on Thursday.
Thames Valley Police had signalled earlier this month that officers were considering allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor might have passed confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein. The force's inquiry was prompted by material that was released recently by the U.S. government, according to files cited in those disclosures.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. He has said he regrets the friendship but has not replied to requests for comment since the most recent release of documents, according to media reports.
As of the time of the reports, Thames Valley Police had not provided an immediate comment on the arrest. The BBC attributed the initial account of the detention to its television reporting.
The developments follow the publication of files by U.S. authorities that, according to reporting, contain allegations concerning the transfer of government material. Those files were cited by Thames Valley Police when it notified the public earlier this month that it was reviewing the claims.
The facts available in public reports are limited to the law enforcement activity at Wood Farm, the force's earlier acknowledgement of the scope of the inquiry, and Mountbatten-Windsor's prior denials and expressions of regret over his association with Epstein. There has been no new public statement from Mountbatten-Windsor responding to the most recent document releases, and the police force had not issued an immediate response to queries about the reported arrest.