Ex-Prince Andrew Wins Lawsuit Over “Unlawful” Police Search Warrants
LONDON — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, has secured a significant legal victory after the High Court in London ruled that search warrants executed at his homes were unlawful. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, marks a major development in the ongoing investigation into allegations linking the former royal to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Thames Valley Police admitted to the High Court that the warrants used to search Marsh Farm and the Royal Lodge were invalid. The warrants had been issued by the Recorder of London, Mark Lucraft KC, earlier this year. Police stated that while they provided all necessary information to the court at the time, the legal basis used to justify the searches was ultimately deemed incorrect.
“We accept the position that the initial court’s decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect and therefore these must be legally quashed,” a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said in a statement. The force maintained, however, that they had followed correct legal procedures and that the ruling was a reflection of the court’s decision-making process rather than police malpractice.
The investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor began in earnest this past February, when he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The inquiry was sparked by revelations within the “Epstein files,” a collection of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Media reports have alleged that during his tenure as a U.K. trade envoy in 2010, the former prince leaked confidential trade documents and investment opportunities to Epstein, who had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor two years prior.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to his association with Epstein. Separately, he has faced long-standing allegations from Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked for sex by Epstein and assaulted by the former prince in 2001. Giuffre’s claims are not currently part of the police probe into public office misconduct.
Despite the quashing of the warrants, the investigation remains active. Presiding Judge Nicholas Hilliard emphasized that the ruling does not signal the end of the inquiry. “The fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring the investigation to an end or mean that the whole of the investigation is unlawful,” he told the court.
Legal experts suggest that the impact of the ruling on the case may be limited. Mark Stephens, a partner at law firm Howard Kennedy, noted that under U.K. law, evidence obtained through a technically flawed warrant is not automatically inadmissible. “If they’re probative of guilt or exculpation, they won’t be excluded,” Stephens explained. “It’s really a technical win.”
A further hearing is expected next year to determine the status of the seized materials. In the interim, Thames Valley Police will retain the documents as they continue to pursue their investigation.
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