King Charles III's younger brother, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested and taken into custody Thursday by British authorities, in an investigation into official misconduct related to his relationship with the deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday at his new home of Charles' Sandringham estate in the county of Norfolk. He was arrested on misconduct in public office, in apparent connection his decade-long post as a UK trade envoy.

The arrest came two weeks after files released by the U.S. Justice Department suggested that Andrew shared confidential British government information with Epstein and others when he worked as a British trade envoy.

The Thames Valley Police confirmed a week ago it was investigating allegations against Andrew that surfaced in the DOJ- released documents, and on Thursday announced that "as part of the investigation, we have today 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."

King Charles said after the arrest that he learned "with the deepest concern" of the arrest and  that "law must take its course."

The arrest is the latest blow to Britain's royal family after years of unflattering revelations about Andrew and his long relationship with Epstein. Andrew has always denied wrongdoing.

Nonetheless, the family late last year stripped the former prince of his royal titles.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted to the latest revelations, telling the BBC shortly before the arrest that “nobody is above the law."

Justice “has to apply in this case in the same way it would in any other case," he also said.