Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Takes Legal Action Over Search Warrants Before His Arrest
By Sean Coughlan, Royal Correspondent
Published: 5 October 2026, 08:52 BST Updated: 41 minutes ago
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in February. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following information from the Epstein files in the US.
His lawyers are challenging the search warrants used at Sandringham and Royal Lodge in Windsor, relating to his arrest, as first reported by the Telegraph.
Thames Valley Police confirmed they are involved in legal proceedings regarding warrants obtained from the Central Criminal Court.
"As these legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further," a spokesperson said.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal titles over connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, seeks a judicial review to question the legality of the search warrants. A court hearing will take place on Thursday afternoon to consider this request to quash the warrants, with a private session initially focusing on a police application to keep certain documents confidential.
The warrants were issued by a judge at the Central Criminal Court on 18 February—the day before his arrest. The legal challenge is directed towards the chief constable of Thames Valley Police and the Central Criminal Court.
"Even if Andrew succeeds in having the search warrants quashed, that wouldn't necessarily be the victory it might seem," said Nick Vamos, a criminal lawyer at Peters & Peters.
Vamos noted such warrant disputes are common but, if police win on technical grounds, they can still retain seized material. "The police can apply back to the Crown Court to retain the material if they have reasons to immediately seize it again," he explained.
For several days after the arrest, police conducted searches at Mountbatten-Windsor's properties in Sandringham and Windsor. The arrest followed revelations from the Epstein files, published by the US Department of Justice, including emails suggesting official documents were shared with Epstein and others while Mountbatten-Windsor was UK trade envoy.
He had already been stripped of his titles by King Charles after emails showed continued links with Epstein beyond his public denials. Following his February arrest, he was released under investigation from Aylsham police station, looking exhausted in a photograph taken upon his departure.