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

British police have quashed search warrants that were initially granted to search properties linked to King Charles' younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The warrants, secured to search locations in Sandringham and Windsor, were based on incorrect legal grounds and must now be invalidated, Thames Valley Police announced on Thursday.

Andrew was detained in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of leaking confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, between 2001 and 2011 while serving as a British trade representative. Despite the arrest, Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein, who passed away.

The scandal led to one of the most significant crises in the British royal family in nearly a century. Andrew and his brother applied to have the search warrants quashed, and the police have now accepted that the initial court decision was incorrect, necessitating the legal quashing of the warrants. Ongoing legal proceedings are underway to determine how the seized materials will be handled and whether they can be retained as evidence for the investigation, which is still ongoing following the release of millions of Epstein-related documents by the US justice department.