The first photograph of Andrew following his arrest was released late on Thursday.

In the Reuters photo, the disgraced prince is seen inside a car, accompanied by police officers, appearing visibly shocked.

See photos.

It is an unprecedented image in British history: a member of the royal family, a prince, in police custody over his alleged involvement in a major, high-profile scandal.

He was held for 12 hours. So far, there has been no information from the police about what will follow, although it is understood that the indictment could be severe and the sentence could potentially reach life imprisonment.