High Court confirms a consent order declaring warrants used at two properties unlawful.
Why it matters: The order is a legal and evidentiary setback for Thames Valley Police in a high-profile investigation. It does not end the investigation or automatically exclude all material seized during the searches.
- An Old Bailey judge issued the warrants on February 18, 2026; police used them the next day at Wood Farm in Norfolk and Royal Lodge in Windsor.
- Thames Valley Police said the warrants were quashed on July 22; on October 8, the High Court confirmed the parties' agreed outcome in a consent order.
- The court record and police statement identify unresolved questions about whether police can retain and use material seized in the searches.
- A further private hearing is expected in 2027, according to Thames Valley Police, but the materials do not give a scheduled date.
The High Court of England and Wales confirmed on October 8 that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Thames Valley Police had agreed that the warrants used at Wood Farm and Royal Lodge were unlawful. The outcome was a consent order - an agreed court order - rather than a contested judgment after a full argument on the warrants' merits. The court record identifies the case as claim AC 2026-LON-002321, heard by Mr Justice Nicholas Hilliard in the Administrative Court.
The warrants were issued by an Old Bailey judge on February 18, 2026, and used on February 19 at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire. Thames Valley Police said the warrants were quashed on July 22. The October 8 court order confirmed that agreed result, resolving the chronology rather than creating a separate second quashing on that date.
The legal error concerned the warrants' basis and the failure to consider whether investigators might obtain legally privileged material or protected special procedure material - a category of sensitive material subject to special rules governing searches and whether it can be used as evidence. The Associated Press reported that the issue was central to the challenge.
The investigation concerns alleged misconduct in public office and alleged information sharing involving Jeffrey Epstein while Andrew was the UK's trade envoy, according to the AP report. Hilliard said quashing the warrants did not end the investigation or mean the entire investigation was unlawful.
Andrew was arrested on February 19, interviewed under caution and released under investigation, according to Thames Valley Police. The force said no charge had been announced and that further proceedings would address whether seized material could lawfully be retained and used.
By the numbers
- February 19, 2026 - Police searched Wood Farm in Norfolk and Royal Lodge in Berkshire.
- July 22 - Thames Valley Police said the search warrants were quashed.
- October 8 - The High Court confirmed the agreed consent order.
Yes, but: Quashing the warrants does not automatically end the investigation or decide whether all material seized must be excluded. The police statement says a further private hearing is expected in 2027, but no date is identified in the materials.
What's next: A further private hearing is expected in 2027 to address whether Thames Valley Police can retain and use material seized during the searches. No scheduled date is provided.