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It's news that has caught the attention of the world - a royal arrest.
The younger brother of King Charles III spent more than 10 hours in police custody, after he became the first senior British royal in modern times to be arrested by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He has not been charged with a crime at this stage.
Thames Police released a statement, saying it chose not to name the arrested man "as per national guidance".
"On Thursday, we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrested man has now been released under investigation. We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded."
Police say care is being taken to avoid being in contempt of court and no media conferences or interviews will be conducted at this time.
The arrest follows the release of millions of pages of documents connected to a US investigation of Jeffrey Epstein.
This includes emails alleging Mr Mountbatten-Winsor sent confidential government information to Epstein, during his time as UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and has said he regrets their association.
His older brother, King Charles, insists he and his family will fully cooperate with the investigation.
In a statement, he said police "have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation" and "the law must take its course".
In an interview on the BBC just prior to Andrew's arrest, Mr Starmer says anyone with information relating to the Epstein case should testify.
"One of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law. And it is really important that this is applied across the board. That is the principle. It's a long-standing principle. It's a very important principle."
News of the arrest was widely welcomed on the streets of London.
VOXIE 1: "It's just a, I suppose, a sign of the world we live in where power has no responsibility. No ethics.
VOXIE 2: "I’m a royalist myself. I mean I do follow the the royal family. I do support them. So, to hearing that from a member of the royal family is really, you know, it's the last straw really."
VOXIE 3: "I think it's only because the public's probably put pressure on - and the media has put pressure on - to have him questioned. But he will probably disappear to some country where he won't be extradited."
US President Donald Trump is calling it a shame as he continues efforts to distance himself from Epstein, following multiple appearances of his name in the documents.
Being named in the files is not an indication of misconduct.
"I'm the expert in a way, because I've been totally exonerated. It's very nice. I can actually speak about it very nicely. I think it's a shame. I think it's very sad, I think it’s so bad for the royal family. It's very, very sad, to me, it's a very sad thing. When I see that, it's very sad to see it. And to see what's going on with his brother, who's obviously coming to our country very soon. And he's a fantastic man, the King."
Also in the documents, is a photo of the former prince appearing to kneel over an unknown woman lying on the floor.
This follows allegations of sexual abuse against Andrew by the now deceased Virginia Guiffre.
A prominent accuser of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Ms Guiffre alleged that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her to former Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old.
The former prince, who has denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022, but admitted no liability.
But after the posthumous publication of Virginia Guiffre's book in October 2025, as well as the resurfacing of emails between Andrew and Epstein, the former prince was stripped of all his royal titles last year.
Ms Guiffre's brother, Sky Roberts, shared mixed emotions following the arrest.
"The first gut reaction is celebration for her. But as the day progresses, right before this interview we went out and got breakfast real quick because we have a long day ahead of us, and you know I just started crying in the middle of breakfast. And people probably think I'm psycho over here, but the reality of it is, it just hits you in certain ways and I think that's what we're going to experience throughout the day."
He says he won't give up until there's justice for his sister, and all the other victim-survivors of Epstein's trafficking ring.
"I think we're very hopeful that this is the start of the domino effect. This is where the house of cards starts falling. And kudos to the UK for taking the first step, for saying, you know what, we are going to arrest somebody who is held to one of the highest esteems out there, somebody who was a former prince. I mean, this hasn't been done before. And so to know what we should expect, it's really naive to say that we do. But we won't stop. I mean Virginia said it so clearly in her statements; and I'll say it again here today like we won't start until justice is served."
As the investigation unfolds, the royal family continue to confront a storm of reputational damage.
Lead campaigner of anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith says the entire institution needs to be held accountable.
"I think it's incredibly bad for the monarchy. I mean, you know, most people are not that interested in it. People under the age of 50 are increasingly hostile to it. And whilst there are people who are over the age of 60 who probably think that, you know, it's one bad apple, I think most people under the age of 50 think, well, why is it taking so long to come out? What have they been hiding? What questions, you know... what did they know when?"
