STORY
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has won a High Court challenge over search warrants obtained by Thames Valley Police as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office. Mr Justice Hilliard ruled that the warrants were unlawful after the force accepted that they had been obtained under the wrong provision of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
The warrants were issued by the Recorder of London on 18 February 2026 and used during searches of Mountbatten-Windsor’s residence on the Sandringham estate and his former home at Royal Lodge. Police seized documents and electronic devices after arresting him the following day on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The investigation concerns allegations that he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy. No charges have been announced and the investigation remains ongoing.
The court heard that the applications anticipated finding legally privileged and special procedure material, meaning that the warrants could not lawfully have been issued under section 8 of the Act and should instead have followed the procedure under section 9. The warrants have now been quashed, but the judge stressed that this did not invalidate the wider investigation. Thames Valley Police has applied to retain the seized property on the basis that it could have been lawfully obtained under a different provision, with that application expected to be heard next year. Mountbatten-Windsor is opposing it.