Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has launched a legal challenge over warrants used by British police to search two of his residences as part of an investigation into allegations connected to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A judicial spokesperson confirmed that Mountbatten-Windsor filed a claim with the High Court in London, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.
The legal action seeks to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully when officers searched his residences near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate earlier this year.
The searches were carried out in February after Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The investigation centers on allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy.
Police questioned Mountbatten-Windsor for about 11 hours before releasing him under investigation. He has not been charged, and the investigation remains ongoing.
His arrest marked an extraordinary development for the British monarchy, reportedly making him the first senior member of the royal family to be arrested in nearly four centuries.
Thames Valley Police confirmed Monday that its investigation is continuing and acknowledged that the force is involved in legal proceedings concerning the search warrants. Police declined to comment further while the court case is underway.
The allegations emerged following the release by the U.S. Justice Department of millions of pages of documents related to its investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking activities and his connections with wealthy and influential figures around the world.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein has generated controversy for the royal family for more than a decade. The fallout contributed to his decision to step away from public royal duties in 2019.
As additional revelations connected to the U.S. investigation emerged last year, King Charles III took further steps to distance the monarchy from the controversy, stripping his younger brother of his princely title.
Thursday’s High Court hearing is expected to focus on the legality of the warrants used to search the properties rather than the underlying allegations, which remain the subject of a separate police investigation.
