Ex-prince Andrew search warrants quashed after police accept legal error

British police quashed search warrants aimed at properties linked to King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, after determining they were granted incorrectly. The arrest of Andrew in February followed suspicion of misconduct in public office; he was investigated for allegedly leaking confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex-offender, between 2001 and 2011 when Andrew served as a British trade representative.

Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and expressed regret over his friendship with Epstein, who also passed away in 2019. The scandal surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein has plunged the British royal family into one of its worst crises in 90 years. Thames Valley Police accepted that the court's decision to issue warrants under the specific legislation used was incorrect, and therefore, these warrants must be legally quashed.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said, "We accept the position that the initial court s decision to issue warrants under the specific piece of legislation used was incorrect and therefore these must be legally quashed." Legal proceedings are currently ongoing to decide the management of material seized during the searches and whether they can be lawfully retained in support of the ongoing investigation.