Tony Figueroa, the ex-boyfriend of Virginia Giuffre, has said he fears Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former staff will not cooperate with the police. He called on those who worked with the former royal during his time as a UK trade envoy to participate in the investigation into King Charles’s brother.
Investigation expands to the US
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It has been reported that the ongoing investigation is expanding, with UK detectives preparing to travel to the United States to speak with the family of the late Ms Giuffre, who accused Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual assault. The former Duke of York has consistently and vehemently denied all allegations against him.
Mr Figueroa highlighted how the King said in February that “the law must take its course,” issued alongside a statement that the authorities had the monarch's "full and wholehearted support." However, Figueroa expressed doubt that those who worked with the former royal during his time as a UK trade envoy would cooperate.
Doubts over cooperation
“[Andrew] had the police around him, so [the King's statement] could just be cover,” he told the Express. “They say what they need to say.” Tony Figueroa was Virginia Giuffre's boyfriend when she worked for Epstein. “He’s Royal Family,” Figueroa added. "Why wouldn't they go to every length to protect him? To avoid embarrassment, I don't think they would try to help."
The Florida bartender was just a teenager living in Palm Beach and dating his childhood sweetheart, Ms Giuffre, when he got caught up in the fallout from the Epstein trafficking network. He remembers the horror he felt when FBI officers laid out the crimes the billionaire financier was engaged in and since his testimony was made public, fears for his safety on a daily basis, given the powerful circles involved in the scandal.
Secrecy in Palm Beach
His family worry about whether speaking out makes him vulnerable. "I am literally nobody compared to [these people]," he added. "This whole situation has just been hell. In all honesty, half the time when I do these interviews, I get so nervous thinking that somebody is like out for me just for even talking about it." Ms Giuffre’s ex-boyfriend remains haunted by the call he claims he got from his desperate teen partner, who was allegedly in London with the Prince.
"I told her, 'I mean, you're going to have to do whatever to be safe'. But there was nowhere I could go to help and nothing I could do. I was halfway around the world. It was horrible." The Express encountered ongoing sensitivity around the case during a visit to Palm Beach, Florida, where we asked locals for memories of Jeffrey Epstein’s time in the area.
An enclave of extreme wealth, the peninsula once inhabited by the dead billionaire is filled with huge mansions hidden from view by towering hedges and high-end boutiques like Louis Vuitton. When the Express attempted to ask people about the area's history with Epstein, many claimed to be "just visiting" or refused to speak.
Dave Aronberg, the former State Attorney for Palm Beach County, explained that even visits from figures like Prince Andrew rarely drew unusual attention. "In Palm Beach, you accept that you're going to have people with great titles, great wealth and a reputation that people will just decide to fawn over," Mr. Aronberg said. "So it's not that unusual for a prince to come here and not get the attention they would get in other places". The former DA added that wealth had too often acted as a legal shield, allowing powerful individuals to hire top lawyers and investigators. Adding that other parts of the world have moved faster than the US in pursuing accountability around the Epstein scandal.
Mr Aronberg added that given the decades of intense speculation around the Epstein scandal, consistent transparency was now crucial: "That's the thing people want, they want transparency. And when you're hiding and protecting people that's a bad look." However, when the Express visited Everglades Country Club — an exclusive venue where the former prince and Epstein allegedly spent time together — an extreme level of secrecy remained evident.
Huge castle-like walls, blacked-out windows and signs banning cell phones were observable from the outside, with staff quickly calling security and telling us to leave. A representative from the club who spoke to us said he could "neither confirm nor deny any information" about whether Epstein had been a member. A subsequent visit to the Mar-a-Lago club showed a massive police cordon preventing anyone from approaching the entrance.
This secrecy matched the security the Express met when trying to hand-deliver a right of reply to the former Duke of York at his Norfolk estate in the UK. After being chased by the late Queen’s corgis, our team was stopped by private security in a blacked-out Range Rover. The guards warned against filming and photographed our reporter’s ID, stating only that they were "not the police anymore".
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains released under investigation by Thames Valley Police. We hand-delivered correspondence offering him both a right of reply and an on-camera interview regarding the ongoing inquiry. We have received no response. In October 2025 when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's titles were removed the Palace issued a statement which said: "Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse."
