Former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has launched a legal challenge against Thames Valley Police for the arrest and the search warrants that led to raids on his property for a continuing investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files. The move is a significant escalation in one of the most closely watched legal and royal controversies in the United Kingdom. A court hearing on the matter is scheduled for next week.
Mountbatten-Windsor is now seeking a judicial review to determine if police acted reasonably. His team is currently challenging the warrants that allowed investigators to search his residence on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and his former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. The warrants were issued and approved by a judge at the Central Criminal Court on the day they were issued, and they were obtained through Thames Valley Police’s application.
The former royal was arrested in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office after documents on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the US made him the subject of renewed investigation in the United States. Police have been investigating whether secret government information could have been passed on to Epstein during Andrew’s time as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
Mountbatten-Windsor was questioned for a few hours and was released under investigation. Police also searched a number of properties for evidence and seized documents regarding the investigation.
Thames Valley Police said the force is active in legal processes regarding the warrants which were obtained during the investigation. We expect to have a court hearing in private, and judges are also sorting out if certain court documents related to the case should be made public.
Legal experts say that’s unusual because a former senior member of the British royal family is challenging the validity of police action in a criminal investigation. British media have referred to the case as one of the biggest legal challenges of a royal in modern British history.
The affair is the latest chapter in Andrew’s long-running struggle to recover from Epstein’s links. In 2019, the former prince stepped back from royal duties as public attention on the relationship built up. In the last year, he was stripped of his titles and honours by King Charles III after new information about the Epstein files broke out.
While the judicial review will examine the legitimacy of the search warrants and police procedures, it will not determine Andrew’s guilt or innocence on the allegations under investigation. The investigation into possible misconduct is ongoing, and authorities have not announced any criminal charges yet. The court action is, of course, important for the future course of the investigation and the public's concern about one of Britain’s most controversial royal figures.
