Andrew MountbattenWindsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested and later released yesterday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

While Andrew has consistently denied any wrong- doing in relation to his friendship with Epstein, concerns about MountbattenWindsor’s links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.

But the arrest of a brother of a monarch was an extraordinary development with no precedent in modern times that will no doubt put more pressure on the crown. After the arrest, King Charles III said that the law must take its course in the investigation, and he sought to reassure the British pub- lic that he would continue to serve them.

Thames Valley Police said that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England was arrested and remained in custody. The force, which covers areas west of London, including MountbattenWindsor’s former home, did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain, but pointed to its statement when asked to confirm if Andrew was arrested.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 yesterday, moved to Charles’ estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his long-time home near Windsor Castle earlier this month, reports The Associated Press. Thames Valley Police previously said it was “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential trade reports to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade.

Those reports stemmed from correspondence between the two men that was among the millions of pages of documents from the US Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein that were released last month.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.” Police also said they were searching two properties.