King Charles has told his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that a private allowance provided to him cannot be used to fund legal action against Thames Valley Police, according to a royal source cited by BBC News.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following disclosures from the Epstein files in the United States. He has consistently denied wrongdoing linked to his association with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.
The King uses his own private money to support Mountbatten-Windsor and to accommodate him on the royal estate at Sandringham. The exact amount of the allowance has not been disclosed, but it was part of the arrangement when Mountbatten-Windsor relocated from Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Mountbatten-Windsor is now mounting a judicial review to challenge the lawfulness of search warrants used at Sandringham and Royal Lodge ahead of his arrest. Thames Valley Police confirmed it is "engaged in legal proceedings in relation to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court." The police force declined further comment, citing the ongoing nature of the proceedings.
A court hearing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon to consider Mountbatten-Windsor's bid to quash the warrants, with a judge initially hearing a police request to keep some documents private.
Mountbatten-Windsor lost his titles as Prince Andrew and Duke of York over his connections to Epstein. He is no longer a working royal, meaning Buckingham Palace no longer speaks on his behalf and has made clear it is not involved in his legal challenge.
When Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, the King stated that the "law must take its course." The Palace has reinforced that it remains separate from his legal pushback against the police.