Birthday bombshell

Former prince quizzed following 8am cop swoop, Charles: Law must be allowed to take course

- JENNIFER NEWTON, RUSSELL MYERS, PATRICK HILL & ANDY LINES

ANDREW Mountbatten-Windsor yesterday became the first senior royal to be placed under arrest in 379 years as police swooped on his home on his 66th birthday.

The King's brother was quizzed on suspicion of misconduct in public office which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Charles III said "the law must take its course", as the Royal Family's former head of police protection warned the scandal could bring down the monarchy as we know it.

Mountbatten-Windsor's historic arrest was the first of its kind since King Charles I was held in 1647 following the English Civil War. He was executed two years later.

The former Duke of York is expected to have had his mugshot taken, his DNA swabbed and his fingerprints inked.

Last night after being released under investigation - he was pictured slouched in the back of a vehicle as he left Aylsham police station in Norfolk.

His car arrived at his Sandringham home just after 8pm - 12 hours after officers turned up to arrest him.

Thames Valley Police searched MountbattenWindsor's address at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate as well as his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Last night, the latter search was ongoing.

The arrest is believed to follow an investigation sparked by the release of millions of pages of files relating to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was Mountbatten-Windsor's pal.