Pressure is mounting on Parliament to examine what the royal family knew about Prince Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and to introduce mechanisms to strip him of his titles. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they are looking into claims that Andrew asked his Met bodyguard to dig up information on Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault, before a bombshell picture was published in 2011.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell said she is writing to ministers this week to back her bill giving the King or a parliamentary committee the power to remove Andrew’s titles. Similar legislation was enacted in 1917 to strip titles from peers and princes who fought against Britain in the first world war. Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, called for a proper investigation, saying “the sense of entitlement that Prince Andrew has comes with being a prince and part of the monarchy”.
Labour peer George Foulkes has written to the clerks of the Commons and Lords asking them to review rules that restrict parliamentarians from asking questions about the royal family. Foulkes earlier this year had questions on Andrew’s role as a UK trade envoy rejected by the Lords table office, which told him questions about the royal family were prohibited. He was ultimately allowed to ask about royal expenditure.
