Police investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over misconduct in public office claims have reportedly widened the probe to include alleged sexual offences. Detectives from Thames Valley Police are examining "a number of aspects of alleged misconduct," including sexual wrongdoing and corruption, according to sources. They are working through material seized during a week-long search at Mountbatten-Windsor's former Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor.
Woman at the Heart of Investigation
A woman, who is not British and was in her 20s at the time of the alleged incidents, is central to the investigation. Her lawyer, Brad Edwards, stated: "We're talking about at least one woman who was sent by Jeffrey Epstein over to Prince Andrew." Edwards added that after spending the night with the former prince, the woman claims she was given tea and a tour of Buckingham Palace.
Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation in February after being arrested on his 66th birthday and questioned on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The original allegations involved him providing commercially valuable information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK's special trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
Police Pursue Multiple Lines of Inquiry
Officers, including those specialising in sexual offences, are following several lines of inquiry following the publication of the Epstein files. Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright commented: "Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation. Our team of very experienced detectives are working meticulously through a significant amount of information from the public and other sources."
The force is supporting national policing efforts to contact Epstein victims and survivors. A group hosted by the National Police Chiefs' Council is co-ordinating UK policing to examine allegations contained in the Epstein files.
Sexual Offence Allegations from 2010
Alongside the misconduct probe, detectives are assessing reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes. Police have informed her lawyer that should she wish to report this, "it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and her right for anonymity." The force added: "We recognise how difficult it can be to speak about experiences of this nature. Any contact with police will be led by her wishes, when and if she feels ready and able to do so."
Previous Allegations and Legal Context
In 2014, Virginia Giuffre became the first woman to publicly accuse Mountbatten-Windsor of similar allegations. She claimed that at age 17, she was trafficked by Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor, which he denies. Giuffre took her own life last year.
As Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation, police and prosecution lawyers face no time limits before deciding whether to charge him. The investigation is expected to take many months. Only redacted copies of Epstein-related documents have been published by the US Department of Justice, which has told UK police it will not hand over original papers without a formal request. No such disclosures have been made so far.
According to emails released in the files, the former prince passed on reports to Epstein of visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, along with confidential details of investment opportunities. Trade envoys are bound by a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial or political information about official visits under official rules.
It remains unclear whether Mountbatten-Windsor's role as trade envoy made him a public official due to ambiguity in the law relating to the charge. He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Misconduct in public office involves "serious wilful abuse or neglect" of power or responsibilities, and the offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
In 2016, the Metropolitan Police decided not to proceed after Giuffre filed court papers in Florida alleging she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor while a minor. Separately, Lord Mandelson is under investigation for alleged misconduct in public office over claims he forwarded confidential information to Epstein as Business Secretary.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 ahead of a sex-trafficking trial. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the US in 2022 for helping Epstein abuse young girls.
