Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police, challenging the legitimacy of search warrants executed in February that led to his brief detention during an investigation into his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The High Court confirmed that Mountbatten-Windsor's application for judicial review will be heard privately, at the request of Thames Valley Police, who maintain that the warrants were lawfully obtained. The former Duke of York's lawsuit marks another chapter in his protracted battle to manage his tarnished public image and legal entanglements.
The February raids followed new disclosures from the US Justice Department, which released additional Epstein files, reigniting scrutiny of Mountbatten-Windsor's ties to the disgraced financier. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations that he shared sensitive government information with Epstein during his time as the UK's trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. Police questioned him for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated. It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest.
According to the Telegraph, which first reported the legal move, Mountbatten-Windsor has asked a judge to determine whether the police force's action towards him was lawful, specifically challenging the warrants that allowed officers to search his home on the Sandringham Estate and his former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Thames Valley Police said its investigation was continuing, even as it confirmed the department was involved in legal proceedings about the search warrants. A department spokesman declined further comment while those proceedings are underway.
Mountbatten-Windsor, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and said he regrets their friendship. The former prince was forced to quit all official royal duties in 2019 over his ties with Epstein and was then stripped by his older brother of his titles and honours last October amid further revelations about their relationship.
The case follows his 2022 civil lawsuit settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. He paid a reported £12 million to settle the case without admitting liability. Legal commentators said the judicial review application represents an unusually aggressive strategy, marking the first time a member of the royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them in centuries, and that its outcome could set a precedent for how police handle investigations involving senior royals.