Prince Andrew challenges home search warrants in Epstein-linked UK probe

A London court is hearing Prince Andrew's bid to overturn warrants used to search his homes in an Epstein-linked investigation. The ruling could decide whether police can rely on the seized material if the case moves to prosecution.Image used for representational purposes onlyLondon,Oct 8, 2026 16:06 ISTA London judge is set to hear former Prince Andrew's challenge to police searches of his homes as part of an investigation into his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The High Court hearing on Thursday will also consider a request from the police department involved to limit access to court documents in the case. Proceedings will begin behind closed doors, with any decision to be announced in open court.The case could shape what evidence investigators may use if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, faces prosecution. His lawyers want the High Court to quash the warrants used to search two of his homes after Thames Valley Police officers arrested him on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.If the court rules in Mountbatten-Windsor's favour, it could stop authorities from relying on material found in those searches in any prosecution, attorney Mark Stephens said. Stephens, of the Howard Kennedy firm in London, described Thursday's hearing as a preliminary step in the wider legal battle. "It's the first step of Prince Andrew and his lawyers saying, Actually, this is tainted evidence. It was obtained inappropriately," Stephens said. "Therefore it should be excluded from any criminal trial."King Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his princely title last year as he sought to protect the rest of the royal family from the fallout of his younger brother's links to Epstein. While Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, still receives a stipend from the king's private funds, Buckingham Palace has said those funds cannot be used to pay for his bid to challenge the search warrants. The police investigation first centred on allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive information with Epstein while he was the UK's trade envoy, though police later said they could also look into other matters. Police questioned him for 11 hours before releasing him under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor cleared. It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal had been arrested. Thames Valley Police said on Monday that the investigation was continuing and confirmed it was involved in legal proceedings over the search warrants, but declined further comment while the case is before the court.The allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor emerged after the US Justice Department released millions of pages of documents from its investigation into sex trafficking by Epstein and his links to a network of wealthy and powerful men around the world. His ties to Epstein have troubled the royal family for more than a decade. Lawmakers had raised questions about the relationship as early as 2011, leading him to step down as the UK's special trade envoy, and eight years later he failed to explain his continuing ties to Epstein in a BBC interview, bringing his role as a working member of the royal family to an end. Thursday's hearing will now address access to court papers and Mountbatten-Windsor's attempt to overturn the warrants as the police investigation continues. With PTI Inputs- Ends