Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has launched a judicial review against Thames Valley Police over the search warrants executed at his homes earlier this year. The legal action follows his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February, related to revelations from the Epstein files in the United States. According to reports, a court hearing will be held on Thursday to determine if the police actions were lawful.
The development was first reported by Britain's The Telegraph newspaper on Sunday. Mountbatten-Windsor has lodged a judicial review in relation to the search warrants that were executed at his home at the Sandringham Estate and his former home at Royal Lodge in Windsor. Thames Valley Police confirmed to CNN on Monday that it was "engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court" and would not comment further with legal proceedings ongoing.
Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest came after the force previously said it was assessing whether the former prince had shared confidential information with Epstein during his decade as a UK trade envoy. He was detained by police on his 66th birthday at his new home on his brother's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, on February 19. He was taken to Aylsham police station where he was questioned for almost 12 hours before being released under investigation.
No charges were filed; police have said its investigation is still ongoing. Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any and all wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein, and has denied any personal gain from his role as a trade envoy, according to British media reports. He stepped down from official royal duties in 2019 following a calamitous interview with the BBC over his friendship with Epstein.
The former Duke of York became the first senior royal in centuries to be arrested in February, the latest extraordinary development in a yearslong scandal over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which obliterated his reputation and has thrown the royal family into crisis. In 2025, King Charles stripped his younger brother of his title as prince, following public outcry after the release of a posthumous memoir by Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Epstein.
Giuffre – who the prince claims never to have met – died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41. In addition to denying all allegations against him, Mountbatten-Windsor has also previously insisted he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior of which Epstein is accused. The news of his legal action against the police comes as the royal family continues to navigate the fallout from the Epstein scandal.
The judicial review is set to be heard in court on Thursday, with Mountbatten-Windsor seeking to determine if the police actions were lawful. The outcome of the hearing is uncertain, but it is expected to shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the search warrants and the police investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor's dealings with Epstein.
Key points
- Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor launches legal action against Thames Valley Police over search warrants executed at his homes.
- The legal action follows his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February, related to revelations from the Epstein files in the United States.
- A court hearing will be held on Thursday to determine if the police actions were lawful.
