Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor 'claims police took personal items during raids' after his Epstein files arrest

Published: 16:29 EDT, 6 October 2026 | Updated: 16:34 EDT, 6 October 2026 Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has claimed that the police took his personal items during their raid on his home earlier this year, according to reports. The former prince has launched a legal battle against Thames Valley Police and the Old Bailey over search warrants for his properties in Windsor and Sandringham, the first time a royal has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings in nearly 400 years.As part of his Judicial Review of the raid, Andrew has alleged that the police took private and confidential items from his home that were unrelated to the investigation, The Telegraph have reported.The disgraced royal has asked a High Court judge to assess whether the warrants given to search his cottage in Sandringham and his former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor on February 19, Andrew's 66th birthday, were legal.If the ruling goes in Andrew's favour, it is believed the police will be forced to hand over all the items they seized during their raids, including those he has alleged to be personal items. It would be considered a blow for the police who have been investigating Andrew for misconduct in public office, after it was suggested that emails he sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while he was the UK's trade envoy contained sensitive information.While plain clothes officers searched his property earlier this year, Andrew was arrested and held for almost 12 hours at Aylsham police station in Norfolk while he was being questioned.He was released under investigation and strongly denies any wrongdoing. It was the first time a royal had been detained by police in more than 350 years. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaving Aylsham Police Station after he was released from custody in February The Daily Mail have contacted Thames Valley Police over the latest developments, although have previously stated that they are ‘engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court’ but were unable to comment further.The police sparked a secrecy row on Monday after they applied for a draconian rule that would keep the documents in the judicial review case out of the public eye.Tomorrow, a senior judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, is set to hear Andrew’s application and to determine whether the public can know the content of the documents, with the Press and public expected to be locked out, at least at first.Court cases are usually held in public under the principle of open justice unless there is a good reason not to.It was earlier revealed that the King has forbidden Andrew to use money he gives as a private source of income to go towards funding his legal fees, which are reported to run up a bill worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.Buckingham Palace has declined to comment however royal sources have stressed that the King has instructed Andrew not to use the money he provides to supplement his personal spending and security detail.