Former Prince Andrew has been released from custody after being questioned for 12 hours.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released from custody, Sky News reports. The younger brother of King Charles III of Great Britain was previously arrested for his ties to the notorious billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

According to the television channel, the former prince was held in custody for approximately 12 hours. He left the police station in a car surrounded by security guards and declined to comment. It is currently unclear whether Andrew was released without bail with an obligation to appear at the police station, or whether he was released on bail.

As a reminder, on the morning of February 19, Andrew, his 66th birthday, was detained at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where he has lived since being evicted from Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II's youngest son is suspected of providing classified information to Epstein while serving as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade, and is charged with abuse of office. He faces a possible sentence of up to life imprisonment under this charge.

Charles III commented on his relative's arrest, emphasizing that the authorities could count on the palace's cooperation in the investigation. "Let me be clear: the law must be respected," the monarch declared.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gained notoriety for his friendship with financier Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of sex trafficking and child molestation. Virginia Giuffre, one of the victims, was the first to accuse the prince of sexual assault when she was 17 years old. She claimed she and Andrew had sex three times between 1999 and 2002, for which she was paid $15,000. In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew, but he avoided trial: the parties reached a settlement of approximately £12 million, paid by Queen Elizabeth II. However, following significant publicity, the prince was excommunicated from the royal family. Last year, following the release of new materials in the Epstein case, Andrew was stripped of his birthright as prince, and shortly before that, he himself renounced all his honorary regalia. It is worth noting that the former prince still categorically denies any involvement in the billionaire's case.

Andrew was married to Sarah Ferguson for 10 years; they divorced in 1996. The ex-spouses have two adult daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. They were largely untouched by the scandal, and they occasionally appear at social events.

Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images US Department of Justice