Helena Wilkinson
Reporting from Windsor

Royal Lodge, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lived until recently, is a vast 30-room property within the idyllic grounds of Windsor Great Park.

There has been a lot of activity around the gates which lead to Royal Lodge, with a number of uniformed police officers guarding the scene while searches are being carried out.

We don’t know how long the searches will go on for, but given the size of the property it may take a while.

The former prince moved out of Royal Lodge just over a fortnight ago.

He had been expected to return to Windsor to collect the remainder of his belongings, but its not clear if that happened.

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

Thames Valley Police has arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

It follows a series of claims that he allegedly shared official documents, including to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Previously reported allegations included that he had shared reports from trade visits, forwarded a confidential briefing on investment in Afghanistan, and passed a Treasury briefing to a personal business contact.

However, the specifics of this investigation which has led to the arrest have not been made public yet.

Andrew's royal status should have made no legal difference to how this case is assessed.

Although, it’s worth bearing in mind his actual title was the UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment - and the Department for Business and Trade has emphasised, in guidance to the BBC, that he was not operating under the rules that now apply to trade envoys.

Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein; he has not responded to the BBC’s requests for comment on any of the specific allegations in relation to the release of millions of Epstein files in January.

The Prince and Princess of Wales support the King's statement following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, the BBC understands.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has commented on Andrew's arrest, saying: "As justice secretary - and as the prime minister has said - nobody in this country is above the law.

"And this is now a police investigation and that must happen in the usual way."

He was speaking to the BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman at the India AI Impact Summit in Delhi.

Neither King Charles nor Buckingham Palace were informed in advance that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was to be arrested today, BBC News understands.

The King released a statement reacting to his brother's arrest a short while ago, which you can read in full here.

Daniel Sandford
UK correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

It's worth noting that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has not been arrested for anything surrounding Virginia Giuffre.

What's led to him being arrested is information in the Epstein files around activities while he was a trade envoy.

Although we don't know specifics, there has to be an assumption that part of this is going to be the sharing of documents within the Epstein files - between Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein himself. That's when Thames Valley Police got involved.

But once you're investigating somebody for alleged misconduct in public office, it doesn't have to focus only on those emails which we've seen publicly in the Epstein files.

Firstly, there's three million documents in the files, so there may be some the media have missed. But secondly, Buckingham Palace said they would support Thames Valley Police in their inquiries.

And that potentially means the police have gone to the Palace, or could go to the Palace, asking to see evidence of communications between Andrew and others.

There is nothing to say that it has to focus on the couple of emails that people have seen within the Epstein files.

Image source, PA Media

Queen Camilla has arrived for an engagement in Westminster, central London, despite her brother-in-law's arrest being announced this morning

She is attending a lunchtime orchestral concert, and was greeted by representatives as she got there.

We had been waiting to see whether senior royals may choose to stay out of the public gaze in light of today's news, but that appears not to be the case.

Image source, PA Media

We have just received a statement from the King following Andrew's arrest. Here it is in full:

I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.

In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.

Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.

As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.

Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all. Charles R.

Helena Wilkinson

I’m not far from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park where Andrew lived until recently.

In the distance, beyond the gates that lead to the sprawling property , we’ve seen a number of uniformed police officers.

The BBC understands that searches are being carried out at Royal Lodge and that the officers we can see by the gates are there to guard the scene.

Earlier, Thames Valley Police said searches were being carried out at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire.

The BBC also understands Royal Lodge is the only address being searched at the moment in Berkshire.

Our colleagues have been sent to Buckingham Palace, the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and Windsor Great Park - which Andrew used to call home.

We'll be bringing you updates from on the ground through the day, as well as the latest reaction to this morning's major development.

Noor Nanji
Royal correspondent

Image source, WPA Pool/Getty Images

While pressure has mounted over Andrew this week, King Charles and other senior royals have maintained a “business as usual” approach.

Some senior royals are scheduled to take part in engagements later today.

Yesterday, the King and Queen were in Barking and Dagenham where they met organisations providing support to the local community.

The day before, the Queen had a number of engagements in Bath.

Yesterday saw the Prince of Wales's appearance on a Radio 1 panel discussion about mental health published - although that was recorded at the end of January.

Last week, he made an official trip to Saudi Arabia, but the attention throughout that was very much on Andrew back at home.

What’s clear is that the work of the wider Royal Family continues to be overshadowed by questions over the King’s younger brother - and today’s developments means that is only likely to continue.

Dominic Casciani
Home and legal correspondent

Misconduct in Public Office is a really complicated offence. It essentially boils down to an allegation that someone who was doing a job on behalf of the British public did something seriously wrong, knowing it to be wrong.

There are four “elements” or factors that police must focus on during their investigation so that prosecutors can later decide whether or not someone should be charged.

First, the police must establish whether the person they’re investigating was a “public officer” and the incident in question was plausibly part of those duties.

If that’s agreed, detectives will then look for evidence that the incident in question saw the suspect “wilfully” neglecting to perform their duty or wilfully misconducting themselves in some other way. That wordy definition has long been a source of legal debate - more on that later.

The next question is whether the action they committed was so bad that it was “an abuse of the public's trust”.

Lastly, if the evidence has passed those three tests, police need to examine whether the person under investigation acted “without reasonable excuse or justification”.

That final question is crucial. It’s a fundamental principle of criminal justice that someone suspected of wrongdoing is given an opportunity to put forward their side of the story - and that starts when the police come and knock on their door.

Norfolk Constabulary has informed the BBC that it is “supporting a Thames Valley Police investigation into misconduct in a public office”.

Earlier this morning, unmarked police vehicles were seen arriving at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been living.

He was arrested by Thames Valley Police - but while we know they are carrying out searches in Norfolk and Berkshire, we do not know where Andrew was arrested.

Dal Babu, former Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent, tells BBC News that pressure has been "growing and growing" over the last few weeks.

The ex-senior police officer says that by arresting Andrew, police will be able "to access computer equipment, files, photographs, any other evidence".

He also says officers "can carry out searches of any premises he owns or occupies, or any other premises he controls, so there may well be searches in other areas as well".

Our colleagues at BBC Radio 5 Live have been speaking to Danny Shaw, a policing commentator, about what Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest actually involves.

Shaw says the absolute longest the former prince can be held for is 96 hours - but this would require multiple extensions from senior police officers and a Magistrate's Court.

In most cases suspects are held for 12 or 24 hours and are then either charged or released pending further investigation, Shaw says.

Andrew will be placed in "a cell in a custody suite" with just "a bed and a toilet", where he will wait until his police interview. Shaw says "there'll be no special treatment for him".

As a reminder, we don't know what time Andrew was arrested or where he is being held.

There's still a lot we don't know about this morning's development.

We know Andrew has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and that he is in custody - but we are still waiting for some significant details. They are:

• The specifics of the allegations being investigated by police
• What information prompted Thames Valley Police to arrest the former prince
• Where Andrew is currently being held
• Whether he has been interviewed under caution yet

Image source, Reuters

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor comes on the same day that the former prince turns 66 years old.

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

Of course this arrest should not be seen as any indication of guilt and there are no charges yet. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

But that no-nonsense police statement still seems like a bluntly worded news earthquake: “The man remains in police custody at this time.”

We don’t know where he is this morning, but it makes you think about the rather startling scene amid the plastic cups and clutter of a police station, to have the King’s brother there under arrest.

It’s a very long fall from the splendour of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

We can now bring you these images, believed to be police near Andrew's Sandringham home this morning.

Image source, Bav Media

Image source, Bav Media