Buckingham Palace is "actively assisting" police with specific inquiries into allegations that former Prince Andrew committed misconduct in a public office.
Police Request Visitor Logs and Protection Officer Records
Sources have revealed that detectives at Thames Valley Police (TVP) requested visitor logs at royal residences connected to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as part of their ongoing inquiry. Investigators have also asked for logs of Andrew's Private Protection Officers (PPOs), detailing their shift patterns while protecting the former Duke of York from 2001 to 2010, it is understood.
The dramatic development comes as police announced on Friday that they have broadened their inquiry to consider allegations of sexual misconduct, within their initial investigation into potential misconduct in public office. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 until 2011, when he stepped down amid controversy over his friendship with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied any wrongdoing regarding his links to the convicted sex offender.
Palace Cooperation and King Charles's Stance
A source said: “Buckingham Palace is now actively assisting police inquiries, in line with the King’s previous statement that they stood ready to do so when requested. This is an incredibly sensitive investigation and one in which no stone will be left unturned. If there are any potential victims or witnesses to any wrongdoing, detectives will want to speak to them.”
Following Andrew's arrest in February and subsequent eleven-hour questioning on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, King Charles issued a statement expressing his "deepest concern". The monarch stressed that the authorities leading the investigation had the royal family's "full and wholehearted support and cooperation", adding "Let me state clearly - the law must take its course".
Royal sources today reiterated the King's commitment to supporting any police investigation involving Mountbatten-Windsor. The King last October stripped his disgraced brother of all his titles and honours, and evicted him from his 30-room mansion in Windsor, due to the widening scandal involving his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Searches and Evidence Gathering
Searches were carried out at Andrew's former Royal Lodge in Windsor and his current home, Marsh Farm, on the King's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which the King personally pays for him to live in. Detectives are understood to be working through evidence recovered during the operation. They have also made a formal request to the United States Department of Justice for the original versions of the Epstein files, but have not yet received any information.
TVP’s major investigation is expected to be lengthy, and will face obstacles including trying to prove whether Andrew held a public office at the time of the allegations, something that is not clearly legally defined. However, it is understood that if this were found not to be the case, the force would continue investigating any evidence of other, separate offences.
Appeal for Victims and Witnesses
Detectives have since made a direct appeal for potential victims and witnesses to come forward to assist them. Police revealed they are probing a claim by a non-British woman who says Jeffrey Epstein flew her to the UK for sex with Andrew. The unnamed trafficking victim alleged that she was in her 20s when, at the paedophile's request, she spent a night with Andrew at his Royal Lodge home in Windsor. The woman claims she had a sexual encounter with the former prince and was then taken to Buckingham Palace for tea afterwards in 2010. She was also apparently given an exclusive tour. The woman has so far not spoken to officers, but specialist detectives told her attorney - the same man who represented Andrew's sex abuse accuser - that they will speak to her only when, and if, she feels ready.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of abusing her on three occasions in 2001, took her own life last April after being tormented by the abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and his former lover Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in the US for sex crimes. Andrew has repeatedly and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
Legal Definition of Misconduct in Public Office
The legal definition of misconduct in a public office can include a wide range of conduct, including sharing confidential financial information, financial misconduct, wilful neglect of duty, and sexual misconduct. It also covers corruption and improper interference, conflict of interest, perverting the course of justice, dishonesty or fraudulent conduct, and misconduct leading to personal gain.
Detectives at Thames Valley Police are understood to be concerned that the public believes they are only focused on accusations that the former prince shared information while a trade envoy, when in fact the legal terms of the offence under investigation are much broader.
Buckingham Palace did not comment.
