LONDON — Former Prince Andrew has filed a legal action challenging the warrants that authorized searches at two of his homes earlier this year as British police investigated allegations related to his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A judicial spokesperson confirmed that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had filed a claim with the High Court in London, and a hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The Daily Telegraph previously reported that Mountbatten-Windsor had asked the court to determine whether Thames Valley Police acted lawfully in searching the former prince’s homes near Windsor Castle and on King Charles III’s Sandringham estate. If the court were to find in Mountbatten-Windsor’s favor, it could prevent authorities from using evidence discovered during the searches in any prosecution of the former prince, attorney Mark Stephens said. Stephens, of the Howard Kennedy firm in London, described the hearing as a preliminary skirmish in the broader legal battle. “I think the most important thing to take away from this is it shows that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his lawyers are taking this search warrant and the potential for charges extremely seriously,” he told The Associated Press. “And I think that telegraphs that perhaps there’s more of this to come. And perhaps charges will be preferred down the road.” The searches were conducted in February when Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after allegations that the former prince shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the U.K.’s trade envoy. Police questioned Mountbatten-Windsor for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated. It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, underscoring how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years. Thames Valley Police said Monday that its investigation was continuing, even as it confirmed that the department was involved in legal proceedings about the search warrants. A department spokesman declined further comment while those proceedings are underway. The allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor came to light when the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into sex trafficking by Epstein and his connections to a network of wealthy, powerful men around the world. Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein has been a source of embarrassment to the royal family for more than a decade and forced him to give up royal duties in 2019. But as further revelations began to leak out of the U.S. investigation last year, the king moved to insulate the monarchy from the fallout by stripping his younger brother of his princely title. After Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, Charles departed from the “never complain, never explain” approach of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the investigation. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,’’ he said at the time. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.” By Danica Kirka
