Royal claims police seized personal belongings during February raid, seeks court review

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has initiated a judicial review against Thames Valley Police and the Old Bailey, claiming the February 19 raids on his Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, and his Sandringham cottage unlawfully seized private and confidential items. He asks a High Court judge to assess the legality of the search warrants issued on his 66th birthday and to order the return of any non-investigative material. The challenge follows his arrest and 12-hour detention at Aylsham police station over alleged misconduct in public office, stemming from emails to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as the UK’s trade envoy.

Police have applied for a secrecy order to keep the review documents from public view, raising concerns about the principle of open justice. If the court rules in his favour, the police may be forced to hand over the seized belongings. The King has reportedly barred him from using personal funds to cover legal costs, which are said to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.