Quick Answer
On Thursday, October 8, Britain's High Court ruled that the search warrants used to raid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes were unlawful, after Thames Valley Police admitted they had been granted under the wrong legislation. The warrants will be quashed. Police are trying to keep the seized documents and devices through a different legal route, and the misconduct-in-public-office investigation continues.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Belfast. Photo: Titanic Belfast, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Britain's High Court handed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor a rare legal victory on Thursday, ruling that the search warrants behind the February raids on his homes were unlawful. Thames Valley Police admitted the error, and the warrants will now be quashed — though the criminal investigation into the former prince's alleged links to Jeffrey Epstein carries on.
The decision came at a private hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where Mr Justice Hilliard said the force had agreed that the warrants "were unlawful." Andrew, 66, the younger brother of King Charles III, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office after police searched his home on the Sandringham estate and his former residence, Royal Lodge, in Windsor.
What the High Court decided
Thursday's hearing resolved one part of Andrew's legal challenge: whether the warrants that authorized the February 19 searches had been properly granted. They hadn't. A senior judge found that the wrong legislation had been applied when a judge at the Central Criminal Court approved the warrants, and Thames Valley Police accepted the position outright.
"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 police spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
Andrew did not attend the hearing. His lawyers had argued that the warrants should be quashed — and the court agreed. In practical terms, that means the warrants cease to have legal effect, and the legality of the searches themselves is now in question.
The Royal Courts of Justice in London, where Mr Justice Hilliard ruled on Thursday. Photo: CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why Andrew's warrants were ruled unlawful
Search warrants in England and Wales have to be issued under the right law for the offence being investigated, and the paperwork has to match. Here, police went to the wrong statutory door. The warrants were granted by a judge at the Old Bailey in February, but under a piece of legislation that didn't fit the misconduct-in-public-office investigation.
It's the kind of technical error that can be fatal to a search. The police force didn't fight the point — it conceded that the legislation was wrong and that the warrants must therefore be quashed. Mr Justice Hilliard recorded the agreement between the claimant and the force, a concession that makes a formal legal argument unnecessary.
Legal commentators note that warrant challenges aren't unusual, and that a quashed warrant doesn't automatically hand back everything that was seized. The police can often ask the court to authorize the retention of material under a different, correct route — exactly what Thames Valley Police is now doing.
What happens to the seized evidence
This is where the ruling bites. Detectives spent days searching the Sandringham estate and Royal Lodge, removing documents and electronic devices. With the warrants quashed, questions immediately arise about what police can do with that material.
The force says legal proceedings are now under way to decide "how material seized during the searches will be managed and whether we can lawfully retain it in support of our ongoing investigation." Its property, in other words, stays in police custody for now.
The judge added an important caveat. "The fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring an investigation to an end, or mean that the whole of the investigation was unlawful," he said, per USA Today. Any future prosecution would likely see a separate fight over whether the seized material can be used as evidence.
What the ruling means for the Epstein-linked investigation
The criminal investigation itself is untouched by Thursday's ruling — at least for now. Thames Valley Police confirmed it remains active. It began after the US Department of Justice released millions of documents relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and police are examining whether Andrew abused his former public role by disclosing government information to Epstein while serving as Britain's trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
Andrew was arrested on February 19 — his 66th birthday — questioned for about 11 hours, and released under investigation. He has not been charged with any offence. He denies any wrongdoing connected to Epstein and has said he regrets their friendship.
His legal team framed the challenge as a procedural correction, not an acquittal. But winning the point does raise doubts about the evidence base police have built since February, and the force will now have to show a court that it can lawfully keep what it took.
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An aerial view of Sandringham House in Norfolk, one of the two properties searched in February. Photo: John Fielding, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
How Andrew reached the High Court
Andrew's fall from the royal front line has been years in the making. He stepped back from public duties in 2019 after intense scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein and criticism of his BBC interview about the friendship. In 2025, King Charles stripped him of his remaining royal titles and honors, leaving him formally known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor rather than the Duke of York.
His decision to challenge the police warrants was itself a first: no member of the British royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649. The judicial review targeted the warrants obtained from the Central Criminal Court before the February searches — not the arrest itself, and not the underlying misconduct allegations.
Before Thursday's hearing, the force had asked the court to restrict access to documents filed in the case, citing the continuing investigation. That part of the legal battle — what the public can see of the court file — will be fought separately.
The entrance to Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Andrew's former Windsor residence. Photo: Phillip Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why it matters
Procedural rulings don't usually make headlines, but this one does three things at once. It is a public rebuke of one of England's largest police forces over a basic error in a high-profile case. It puts the evidence underpinning the most serious royal criminal investigation in modern history on uncertain ground. And it gives Andrew — a man who has denied wrongdoing for years — a genuine, court-sanctioned win at a moment when the investigation against him seemed to be tightening.
For readers in the US and UK, the case sits at the intersection of two of the biggest stories of the year: the continuing fallout from the Epstein files and the royal family's handling of one of its own.
What happens next
The immediate next step is the retention hearing: a court will decide whether police can lawfully keep the seized documents and devices, potentially under a freshly issued warrant using the correct legislation. If police fail, Andrew could get the material back — and the investigation could lose key evidence.
Beyond that, the misconduct-in-public-office investigation continues, and prosecutors will eventually have to decide whether there is enough evidence to charge. No timetable has been given. A separate dispute over public access to the court documents filed in the case is also still to be resolved.
Key Takeaways
- The High Court ruled on Thursday that the search warrants used in the February raids on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes were unlawful.
- Thames Valley Police accepted the error: the warrants were granted under the wrong legislation and must be quashed.
- Police are seeking a new legal route to retain the documents and electronic devices seized during the raids.
- The criminal investigation into alleged misconduct in public office — linked to Jeffrey Epstein — continues.
- Andrew, 66, was arrested on February 19, questioned for about 11 hours, and released under investigation. He has not been charged and denies wrongdoing.
- Any future trial could see a separate battle over whether the seized evidence can be used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's search warrants quashed?
Because they were granted under the wrong legislation. The warrants, approved by a judge at the Central Criminal Court in February, authorized searches of Andrew's Sandringham home and Royal Lodge. On Thursday, Thames Valley Police accepted that the legal basis was incorrect, and the High Court ruled they must be quashed.
Does this mean the investigation is over?
No. The judge said explicitly that quashing the warrants does not end the investigation or make it unlawful. Thames Valley Police confirmed its misconduct-in-public-office investigation continues, and it is pursuing separate proceedings to keep the seized material.
What did police find during the February raids?
Detectives spent days searching the properties and removed documents and electronic devices. The contents have not been disclosed, and the force has asked the court to restrict access to the case documents.
What is Andrew suspected of?
He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office — allegations that he shared sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as Britain's trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. He has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.
Can police keep the seized evidence if the warrants were unlawful?
Possibly. Police are asking the court to authorize retention of the material under a different, correct legislative route. Under English law, evidence obtained under a quashed warrant isn't automatically excluded — a court decides admissibility later if a prosecution follows.
Has a royal ever challenged criminal proceedings before?
Not in modern times. Andrew's judicial review is the first time a member of the royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Reuters — Ex-prince Andrew search warrants quashed after police accept legal error
- USA Today — Police raids on ex-Prince Andrew's homes were unlawful, court rules
- Law Commentary — Former Prince Andrew Challenges Epstein Search Warrants in High Court
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