A British judge has ruled that search warrants used to raid the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were unlawfully issued, in a significant setback for the Thames Valley Police investigation into the former prince’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The warrants were obtained shortly before Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was held for about 12 hours while officers questioned him and searched his properties.
The judge, sitting in London, found that police had relied on the wrong law when applying for permission to conduct the searches. Thames Valley Police accepted that the warrants had not been properly granted.
“We accept the position that the initial court’s decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect and therefore these must be legally quashed,” a force spokesperson said.
The ruling does not resolve what will happen to material seized during the searches. Proceedings are continuing over whether police can retain the evidence and use it in their investigation.
“Legal proceedings are currently ongoing to decide how material seized during the searches will be managed and whether we can lawfully retain it in support of our ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Thames Valley Police investigation remains ongoing
The investigation began after the release of millions of documents by the US Department of Justice relating to Epstein. Police have said they are continuing to pursue the case and want further witnesses to come forward.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest centred on suspicions that he may have shared confidential government information with Epstein and others while serving as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment between 2001 and 2011.
Three months after the arrest, Thames Valley Police appealed for information as part of a wider misconduct investigation. Assistant chief constable Oliver Wright said the force remained willing to hear from people with relevant information.
“In terms of Epstein victims and survivors, we hope that anyone with relevant information will come forward, and I really want to stress that our door is open whenever a victim-survivor is ready to engage with us,” he said.
Mountbatten-Windsor has made no public comment since returning home after his questioning. His allies have told British media that police were wrong to arrest him and made errors in obtaining the warrants.
He has also faced allegations of sexual assault from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide in Western Australia last year.
