Former Prince Andrew challenges warrants used to search his homes
Former Prince Andrew has filed a legal challenge against warrants that authorised searches of two of his homes earlier this year as British police investigated allegations linked to his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A judicial spokesperson confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had filed a claim with the High Court in London, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Mountbatten-Windsor is asking the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully when it searched his homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate.
The searches were carried out in February, when Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
Police questioned him for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor cleared.
Thames Valley Police said on Monday that its investigation was continuing and confirmed that it was involved in legal proceedings concerning the search warrants.
A police spokesperson declined further comment while the proceedings were ongoing.
The allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor emerged after the US Justice Department released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking and his links to wealthy and powerful figures.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein has damaged the British royal family for more than a decade and led him to step down from royal duties in 2019.
As further revelations emerged from the US investigation last year, King Charles sought to distance the monarchy from the controversy by stripping his younger brother of his princely title.
After Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, Charles also departed from the royal family’s traditional “never complain, never explain” approach by issuing a statement on the investigation.