Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking Thames Valley Police to court over the searches of his homes that followed his arrest in February. A court spokesperson confirmed that the case will be heard at the High Court before Mr Justice Hilliard at 2pm on Thursday.
The former Duke of York is questioning whether the force acted lawfully during the searches. Judges at the Old Bailey had granted warrants that allowed officers to search his residence on the Sandringham Estate and Royal Lodge, his former home in Windsor. Thursday’s session will deal with police efforts to restrict access to court documents in the case and will start in private. It is not yet known whether Andrew will attend.
He was arrested on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The allegations concern claims that he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. Andrew has always denied any serious wrongdoing.
The court action follows a long fall from royal life. King Charles stripped his younger brother of his titles in October last year because of his links to Epstein, and Royal Lodge, the Windsor house named in the warrants, is now described as his former home. The challenge turns the spotlight onto how the police carried out the investigation, rather than onto the allegations themselves.
Thursday’s hearing will begin in private, and the court spokesperson said it will concern the police bid to restrict access to documents rather than the wider allegations. It may be some time before the arguments on either side become public.
