Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Is Taking Police To Court Over His Arrest — And The King Has Made One Thing Very Clear About The Money

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against police over the search warrants used before his arrest in February. And according to a royal source, the King's money is not paying for it.

What's Happening

Andrew's lawyers are challenging the lawfulness of the warrants used to search Sandringham and Royal Lodge, BBC News reports. The case targets Thames Valley Police and the Central Criminal Court, which issued the warrants on 18 February, the day before the arrest.

He is seeking a judicial review, a court process that examines whether a decision was lawful. The move was first reported by the Telegraph, per the BBC.

Sky News reports that a private hearing will take place at the High Court on Thursday. The BBC says that hearing is part of his bid to quash the warrants.

Thames Valley Police has confirmed it is "engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court". It said it would be inappropriate to comment further while the case is ongoing.

The Money Question

This is the part that has people talking. BBC News reports that a royal source said the allowance King Charles gives his brother should not be used to fund the challenge.

Some key details from the BBC's reporting:

• The allowance comes from the King's private money, not the £138m Sovereign Grant, which is public funding for the monarchy.
• The funding was part of the arrangement when Andrew moved from Royal Lodge to the King's Sandringham estate.
• It has not been disclosed how much he receives.
• Andrew is not a working royal, so Buckingham Palace does not speak for him and is not involved in his legal battle.

The BBC says the Palace is now distancing itself from his legal pushback. When Andrew was arrested, the King said the "law must take its course".

Why He Was Arrested

Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after information emerged from the Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice, according to the BBC. Those files included emails that appear to show official documents being shared with Jeffrey Epstein and others while Andrew was the UK's trade envoy.

He was released under investigation after an 11-hour detention. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing linked to his association with Epstein. He lost his titles as a prince and Duke of York over those connections.

Would Winning Actually Help Him?

Not necessarily. Criminal lawyer Nick Vamos, a former head of special crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, told the BBC that even if the warrants were quashed, "that would not necessarily be the victory it might first appear".

His explanation is that police can sometimes apply back to the Crown Court to keep material if they have grounds to seize it again. The police would likely have to lose on a more fundamental issue with how the warrants were granted for them to be forced to return what they found.

What Happens Next

• The private High Court hearing takes place Thursday afternoon.
• Andrew remains under investigation. No charges have been reported.
• It is not yet clear who is paying for his legal action, only who is not.

This is the first public response from Andrew since his arrest. The case will turn on technical legal questions, and details are limited while proceedings are private.

Should Andrew be allowed to challenge the warrants, and who do you think should foot the bill? Tell us in the comments.

Sources: BBC News: King's funding for Andrew not to be used for legal action against police | BBC News: What we know about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal action against police | Sky News: Andrew told not to use King's money to pay for legal action against police