THAMES VALLEY POLICE has conceded that the search warrants executed at the properties of the former Prince Andrew were unlawful, according to a ruling by Justice Nicholas Hilliard on Thursday. The admission pertains to the seizure of belongings during an investigation into Andrew’s connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Justice Hilliard noted that the police made a substantial error when applying for the warrants used to search the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, had requested that the High Court judge invalidate the warrants. Both parties agreed to this invalidation prior to the hearing, though the former royal did not attend.
Stephens, a lawyer from the Howard Kennedy firm representing Mountbatten-Windsor, characterized the proceeding as an early maneuver in a larger legal conflict. He stated that the defense is arguing the evidence was obtained improperly and should therefore be excluded from any future criminal trial.
The legal battle unfolds against a backdrop of strained relations within the monarchy. King Charles III removed Mountbatten-Windsor from his princely title last year to protect the rest of the royal family from the ongoing controversy surrounding Epstein. While the 66-year-old continues to receive a stipend from the King’s private funds, Buckingham Palace has clarified that taxpayer or royal money cannot be used to finance the challenge against the search warrants.
Initial police inquiries focused on whether Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive information with Epstein during his tenure as the U.K.’s trade envoy, though authorities indicated they might examine other areas as well. Investigators questioned him for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, a status that leaves him neither charged nor cleared. This arrest marked the first time in nearly 400 years that a senior British royal was taken into custody.
The scrutiny intensified after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents related to Epstein’s sex trafficking network and its ties to powerful global figures. Mountbatten-Windsor’s association with Epstein has caused embarrassment for the royal family for over a decade. Lawmakers first questioned the relationship in 2011, leading to his removal from the trade envoy role, and his career as a working royal effectively ended in 2019 following a widely criticized BBC interview.
This is just the beginning. Throwing out warrants doesn’t end the investigation, but it certainly complicates the prosecution’s case significantly.
I am genuinely surprised by the speed of this ruling. It feels like a strategic delay rather than a full exoneration for Andrew.
So the police admitted their mistake. Does this mean any evidence found is now tossed out? That seems like a huge loophole.