Prince Andrew could become the first member of the British royal family to be investigated by police in more than two decades, the Telegraph reports, noting Metropolitan Police are reviewing allegations that the prince tried to gather personal information about his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, using his police protection detail. The force said Sunday it is "actively looking into" the claims, which surfaced in UK media reports over the weekend. Those reports allege Andrew gave Giuffre's date of birth and Social Security number to his taxpayer-funded protection officer while asking the officer to investigate Giuffre just before a photo of their first meeting was published in 2011, per the BBC.
Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, accused Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, including Andrew, of sexual exploitation. She said she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, including once at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. In 2022, Andrew settled a civil case brought by Giuffre out of court. Giuffre's allegations continue to circulate, with her memoir set to be published posthumously on Tuesday.
Andrew is said to have asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to investigate Giuffre, whom he falsely claimed had a criminal record, then emailed his mother's then-deputy press secretary to tell him what he'd done, per the Telegraph and Guardian. Responding to the reports on Sunday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said Andrew's reported behavior was "deeply concerning" and that police protection officers should not be used for such purposes. Andrew could potentially also face a criminal investigation in the US related to the unlawful sharing of a Social Security number. (He just lost his title as duke.)
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