Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince, has gone to the High Court in London to challenge police search warrants. The warrants were used before his arrest in February 2026.
The judiciary confirmed the court challenge on Monday. It said a private hearing will take place in the London court on Thursday.
According to the judiciary’s press office, “the case concerns an application by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for a judicial review to quash search warrants issued by a judge at the Central Criminal Court on 18 February 2026”.
The press office said Thursday’s hearing is about a request from Thames Valley Police. The police want to limit access to court documents in the case.
Andrew, who is the brother of King Charles III, is taking on Thames Valley Police over searches of his homes. Both his current and former homes are on royal estates.
Police arrested the 66-year-old on 19 February, which was his birthday. He was held on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest was linked to his ties with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He was released later that same day. He remains under investigation.
Officers went to the Sandringham royal estate in eastern England to detain him. They searched his home there. They also searched Royal Lodge in Windsor, west of London, where he used to live.
Thames Valley Police said in a statement: “Whilst our investigation into misconduct in public office continues, we are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court.”
“As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further,” the police said.
Andrew’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Daily Telegraph was the first to report the challenge, late on Sunday. The newspaper said his lawyers want to test whether the warrants were lawful. The warrants were granted by a judge at the Old Bailey, which is formally called the Central Criminal Court.
The Telegraph said it was the first time a member of the British royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them. It said this has not happened since the trial of Charles I in 1649.
Andrew was stripped of his royal titles in 2025 over his links to Epstein.
The United States released documents about the American financier in 2026. These included emails in which Andrew appeared to share possibly confidential information with Epstein.
The High Court will hear the police request to restrict the court documents in private on Thursday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Entertainment. Image: IOL Entertainment. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.