Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sues Thames Valley Police over Epstein arrest
King Charles' brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched a judicial review challenging the lawfulness of his arrest earlier this year. A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor challenges legality of Epstein-linked police arrest
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has filed a judicial review against Thames Valley Police over his arrest earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office, cnn.com reported on Monday. The legal action seeks a judge's ruling on whether the warrants executed at his homes were lawful.
Police conducted searches at Mountbatten-Windsor's residence on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. He was detained on 19 February — his 66th birthday — and questioned at Aylsham police station for nearly 12 hours before being released under investigation. No charges have been filed; Thames Valley Police has stated its investigation remains ongoing.
A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, according to British media. The Telegraph was first to report the judicial review on Sunday.
Thames Valley Police confirmed to CNN that it is "engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court" and declined to comment further while proceedings continue. CNN has also contacted the UK Judicial Office for comment.
Mountbatten-Windsor's February arrest made him the first senior royal in centuries to be taken into custody — the latest turn in a long-running scandal tied to his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Police had previously stated they were assessing whether he had shared confidential information with Epstein during his decade serving as a UK trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein and has rejected claims of personal gain from his trade envoy role, according to British media reports. He also maintains he never witnessed or suspected the conduct for which Epstein stands accused.
He stepped back from official royal duties in November 2019 following a widely criticised BBC interview about his friendship with the late financier. In 2025, King Charles stripped him of his title as prince amid public outcry after the posthumous publication of a memoir by Virginia Giuffre — a prominent Epstein accuser who alleged that Mountbatten-Windsor had sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied ever having met Giuffre. She died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)