Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor homes search warrants ruled unlawful
High Court judge found police search warrants used at Sandringham and Windsor properties were unlawful.
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Trust 66: article names Thames Valley Police and Judge Hilliard, cites legal documents, gives dates, but lacks multiple outlets.
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A High Court judge has ruled that search warrants used by Thames Valley Police to enter properties belonging to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were unlawful. The force had applied for the warrants on 18 February 2026 to search Wood Farm in Sandringham and Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Legal documents reveal that senior officers at Thames Valley Police had concerns Mountbatten-Windsor might have attempted to prevent officers from accessing his Sandringham home by claiming it belonged to the King. They feared such a claim could lead to delays in obtaining separate legal permission to enter, potentially risking the loss of evidence. The police stated in their application that any such delay would "frustrate the nature and purpose of the search."
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Concerns over access and evidence
The police were also concerned that no one might be present at the property, or that media attention could be drawn to their presence without immediate access. They argued that given the "gravity of this investigation," search warrants were necessary to ensure evidence could be gathered. The documents specified that police were seeking "paper-work, diaries, business records or other documentary evidence" related to Mountbatten-Windsor's time as Special Representative for Trade and Investment. They also sought mobile phones and computers for information concerning his links to Jeffrey Epstein, following material published by the US Department of Justice.
Mountbatten-Windsor's legal team successfully argued in court that the warrants were unlawful. In separate documents filed as part of his legal challenge, he stated that the police assertions were "no more than speculation."
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Search warrants challenged
The legal challenge was brought via judicial review against the actions of the force's chief constable and the Central Criminal Court. Thames Valley Police accepted that the "initial court's decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect." The court had determined that only section eight search warrants were needed, but a subsequent legal challenge established that section nine should have been used.
Mr Justice Hilliard, the High Court judge, stated that both Mountbatten-Windsor and the police had agreed the search warrants were unlawful. However, he added that "the fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring the investigation to an end or mean that the whole of the investigation is unlawful."
Items seized during the searches, which continued at Royal Lodge until 24 February 2026, remain in police possession. A further court hearing is scheduled for 2027 to determine whether this material can be used as evidence. The criminal investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is ongoing.
Questions this report answers
+Why were the search warrants for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's homes ruled unlawful?
A High Court judge ruled the search warrants unlawful because they were issued under the incorrect section of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Thames Valley Police accepted that the initial court's decision to issue warrants under the specific legislation used was incorrect.
+When did police apply for the search warrants?
Thames Valley Police applied for search warrants to search Wood Farm in Sandringham and Royal Lodge in Windsor on 18 February 2026. The search of Royal Lodge continued until 24 February 2026.
+What happens to the items seized during the raids?
Items seized during the raids remain held by Thames Valley Police. A further court hearing is scheduled to take place in 2027 to decide whether this material can be used as evidence in the ongoing investigation.
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