Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: Ex-prince launches legal action against police over Epstein files related arrest
A new legal move has put fresh pressure on the long-running investigation surrounding the disgraced former prince.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest as part of an investigation linked to material in the Epstein files.
The former Duke of York has asked the High Court to examine whether police acted lawfully when they obtained warrants to search properties linked to him, including his home at Sandringham Estate and former Royal Lodge residence, The Telegraph reports.
The judicial review marks an extraordinary legal challenge after Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested at Marsh Farm in Norfolk in February and taken to Aylsham Police Station where he was questioned for almost 12 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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Police searched Marsh Farm and Royal Lodge for several days, removing documents and other material as part of the probe.
The disgraced former prince’s legal team is understood to be challenging the validity of the search warrants, which were issued by an Old Bailey Judge following an application from Thames Valley Police.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor sought permission for the judicial review earlier this year and a High Court Judge subsequently granted the application.
A private hearing is due to take place at the High Court later this week over whether certain documents connected to the case should be made public.
The investigation began after materials from the Esptein files appeared to suggest Mr Mountbatten-Windsor may have passed sensitive information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Among the allegations are claims that he forwarded reports to Mr Epstein concerning visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and China, aswell as a confidential briefing note concerning investment opportunities in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is being investigated over suspected misconduct in public office, a complex common-law offence involving the alleged abuse of official power for some form of advantage.
However, the investigation faces potential difficulties after the US Department of Justice declined to provide underacted versions of the Epstein files.
A formal request for access to the material could take more than a year to process, with no certainty that US authorities will approve it.
Thames Valley Police also extended the investigation in May to include allegations of sexual misconduct and appealed publicly for anyone with relevant information to contact detectives.
The judicial review does not determine whether Mr Mountbatten-Windsor committed any offence, instead, it will examine the lawfulness of police action underpinning the searches and wider investigation.
