LONDON – Former Prince Andrew is taking legal action against British police following searches of his royal homes that led to his arrest earlier this year.
The younger brother of King Charles III was arrested in February over revelations published in the Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice. Andrew's lawyers are now questioning if the action taken by Thames Valley Police towards him was lawful, The Telegraph first reported.
Police spent days raiding Andrew's homes on the Sandringham Estate and at his former residence, Windsor's Royal Lodge. As they searched, detectives held Andrew at a police station where he was questioned for 11 hours following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public life.
Lawyers for Andrew, who was stripped
of his royal titles last year amid his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, are challenging the legality of the search warrants used in his arrest. A private hearing considering Andrew's legal challenge will take place on Oct. 8.
“Whilst our investigation into misconduct in public office continues, we are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court," a Thames Valley Police spokesperson told USA TODAY Oct. 5. “As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further."
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein and has not been formally charged.
Andrew's legal challenge against the police also marks the first time a member of the royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649, the Telegraph noted.
Why was former Prince Andrew arrested?
Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19, which also happened to be his 66th birthday. Officers searching his royal properties removed documents and other items. He was taken to Norfolk's Aylsham police station and questioned for almost 12 hours. A photo taken of the former prince as he left the station showed him wide-eyed and pale-faced as he slumped low in the back seat of a vehicle.
The former royal was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office during his time as U.K. trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011. Documents released by the U.S. Justice Department indicate that Andrew allegedly passed confidential government information to Epstein during his time in that role.
Misconduct in public office is a complex and sweeping offense that covers many different forms including fraud, sexual misconduct and willful neglect of duty. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
King Charles has expressed support for the police investigation, saying in a statement released hours after Andrew's arrest that “the law must take its course.”
In May, investigators said that as part of their investigation, they were also assessing claims of misconduct including potential sexual crimes and looking into reports that a second woman was sent to Britain by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew.
Police said they were probing the allegation that the unnamed woman "was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes."
The arrest came after photos of Andrew emerged in the Epstein files. In one image, Andrew is seen kneeling on all fours over an unidentified woman on the ground. Among the 3 million pages of released material were emails that appeared to show that Andrew allegedly maintained regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after he was found guilty of sex crimes.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's trafficking victims, said she was coerced as a teenager into repeatedly having sex with the former prince in 2001 as part of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. Giuffre died by suicide in 2025.
Andrew has denied Giuffre's allegations against him.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police raided ex-Prince Andrew's home and arrested him. Now he's suing.
