UK Police Search Warrants for Disgraced Ex-Prince Andrew Quashed Over Legal Error

British police have conceded that search warrants executed at properties linked to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were issued unlawfully and must be formally quashed, following a ruling at the High Court in London on Thursday. Despite the significant procedural mistake, authorities affirmed that the criminal investigation into King Charles III's younger brother remains active. High Court Justice Nicholas Hilliard confirmed the development, noting that the Thames Valley Police force had committed a serious error in its legal application when seeking access to the former royal's residences.

Justice Hilliard emphasized that nullifying the warrants does not invalidate the wider inquiry, stating, “The fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring an investigation to an end, or mean that the whole of the investigation was unlawful.” A Thames Valley Police spokesperson accepted the judicial ruling, acknowledging that the initial magistrate's decision relied on incorrect statutory provisions. The spokesperson stated, “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.”

The 66-year-old former prince was arrested on his birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office concerning his long-standing ties to the late convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor was released later that day but remains a subject of the inquiry, while consistently denying all allegations of wrongdoing. Following the public fallout from the Epstein scandal, he was stripped of his royal titles and military affiliations last year. The contested searches were executed at his former residence in Windsor and an estate in Sandringham.

A legal battle now centers on the fate of documents and items seized during the unlawful raids. The Thames Valley Police confirmed they are seeking court permission to retain materials relevant to their case, an effort strongly opposed by Mountbatten-Windsor's defense team. The High Court indicated that arguments over whether investigators can legally retain the evidence are not expected to be resolved until next year, though non-relevant items have already been returned.