Britain’s disgraced royal Prince Andrew is reportedly under investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police over allegations that he asked one of his taxpayer-funded security officers to gather private information about Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
Giuffre, a victim of child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is the woman who accused Andrew, King Charles III’s brother, of raping repeatedly her when she was a teenager.
According to a report from The Mail on Sunday, leaked emails suggest the 65-year-old royal passed Giuffre’s date of birth and Social Security number to a protection officer and speculated she might have a criminal record in the United States.
The messages were allegedly sent just hours before the 2011 publication of the now-infamous photo showing Andrew with a young Giuffre.
Giuffre was found dead in April at age 41, and her death was ruled a suicide.
The outlet noted there is no indication the officer acted on the request.
Giuffre’s family has said she had no criminal record.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told The Guardian:
“We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously told the outlet that the palace “does not comment on Prince Andrew, as he’s no longer a working royal.”
UK Officials Call Allegations “Deeply Concerning”
During an appearance on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the claims were “deeply concerning” and warranted investigation.
“It’s absolutely not the way that close protection officers should be used,” Miliband said.
Royal Titles Relinquished Amid Renewed Scrutiny
The email leak surfaced just days after Prince Andrew announced he would relinquish his royal titles and honors following renewed controversy over his association with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The king was reportedly planning to strip Andrew of the titles due to the ongoing scandals surrounding his relationship with Epstein.
However, Andrew reportedly agreed to give up the titles, including “Duke of York,” voluntarily before Charles removed them.
On Friday, Andrew issued a statement after excerpts were published from an upcoming posthumous memoir by Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and was forced to have sex with Andrew at age 17.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said.
“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.
“I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” the statement continued.
“I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me.
“As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Although he will no longer use the title Duke of York, Andrew remains a prince as the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
His “His Royal Highness” designation has been inactive since he stepped down from royal duties in 2019.
Giuffre Family: “A Powerful Step Forward”
Following Andrew’s announcement, Giuffre’s family released a statement praising his decision to relinquish his titles as “vindication” for their sister and other survivors.
“We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere,” the statement said.
“This decisive action is a powerful step forward in our fight to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s child sex-trafficking network to justice.
“Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince.”
“This moment serves as victory for Virginia, who consistently maintained, ‘He knows what happened, I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.’
“This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
The family also pointed to newly surfaced emails between Epstein and Prince Andrew from 2011 that appear to contradict the royal’s claim that he had cut ties with Epstein in 2010.
“We hope that the days of impunity for the powerful are over, and protection for predators will no longer be tolerated,” the statement concluded.
“We hope a higher standard has been set for our leaders in office in the United States – one we will work tirelessly to follow here. It is time for accountability, transparency, and justice for all survivors.”
Legal History
In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit in New York accusing Andrew of sexual abuse.
The prince denied all allegations, insisting he never met her and suggesting the photo showing them together may have been fabricated.
After a U.S. judge rejected his attempt to have the case dismissed, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2022.
He did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay an undisclosed sum and make a donation to a charity supporting victims of abuse.
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