Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor takes legal action against police over search warrants
Photo: Reuters
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police in a bid to quash search warrants used in the investigation surrounding his February arrest.
The former Duke of York has sought a judicial review to challenge the lawfulness of warrants issued by a judge at the Central Criminal Court on February 18, 2026. The warrants allowed police to search his residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation. The investigation relates to allegations that he shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing connected to Epstein.
The legal challenge does not establish that the police acted unlawfully. The High Court will consider the arguments surrounding the warrants through the judicial review process.
A private hearing is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, at 2pm before Mr Justice Hilliard. The initial hearing will consider an application by Thames Valley Police to restrict access to court documents connected with Mountbatten-Windsor's claim. The Judicial Office confirmed that the hearing will take place in private.
Thames Valley Police has confirmed that its investigation remains ongoing and that the force is involved in legal proceedings concerning warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court. The force has declined to comment further while those proceedings continue.
The case follows renewed scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor's longstanding association with Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor lost his royal titles and honours amid that scrutiny, while the criminal investigation remains separate from the current legal challenge over the search warrants.
The forthcoming hearing is therefore focused on the court documents and proceedings surrounding his judicial review. Any decision on whether the warrants should ultimately be quashed will form part of the wider legal process.