Former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police to challenge the lawfulness of search warrants that led to his arrest earlier this year, according to a judicial spokesperson.
A private High Court hearing is due to take place Thursday before Justice Hilliard to determine whether documents relating to Mountbatten-Windsor's application for judicial review can be made public, according to British media reports.
Thames Valley Police is opposing the release of the documents.
The legal challenge stems from warrants issued by an Old Bailey judge that enabled police to search Mountbatten-Windsor's residence on the Sandringham estate and his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, in February.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct related to the sharing of confidential material with Epstein, who amassed a fortune as a financier before being convicted over sex crimes and dying in jail in 2019.
Mountbatten-Windsor was interviewed under caution and subsequently released while the investigation continued.
A High Court judge later granted Mountbatten-Windsor permission to challenge the legality of the police force's actions in relation to the searches.
According to the Daily Telegraph, it is the first time a member of the royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of King Charles I in 1649.
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied wrongdoing in connection with his association with Epstein and rejected claims of personal gain linked to his trade role.
According to files released in January, Andrew sent Epstein details of his upcoming official trips as trade envoy to Singapore, Vietnam, the Chinese city of Shenzhen, and Hong Kong in October 2010, and the following month apparently shared official reports from the trips.
Thames Valley Police confirmed that its investigation remains ongoing.
"Whilst our investigation into misconduct in public office continues, we are engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the central criminal court. As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further," a spokesperson for the force that carried out the arrest told the BBC.
