The Metropolitan Police has widened its investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor by contacting all of his former personal protection officers and reviewing flight records at London airports to determine whether they were used for human trafficking. The move is separate from the inquiry that led to the former prince's arrest on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but underscores the scale of multiple investigations now facing King Charles's brother.
Andrew spent 11 hours at a Norfolk police station on Thursday, where his mugshot was taken, while Thames Valley Police conducted a second day of searches at his former home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) is coordinating the work of eight forces examining matters arising from Andrew's association with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Police are also seeking unredacted documents from the US Department of Justice.
The Met said it was identifying and contacting serving and former officers who may have worked closely with Andrew in a personal protection capacity. "They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us," a statement said. The force added that it would examine claims that London airports, including Heathrow, Biggin Hill, and RAF Northolt, were used by flights linked to Epstein to traffic women.
As well as the Met, up to seven other forces are seeking the unredacted Epstein files from US authorities. Five forces – Norfolk, Essex, Bedfordshire, West Midlands, and Police Scotland – are considering claims about flights into airports in their areas, while Surrey and Thames Valley are examining allegations of sexual wrongdoing by Andrew. A national coordinating committee, led by Met assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe on secondment to the NPCC, has been set up, with a senior detective to be recruited. The National Crime Agency will make formal requests for the documents, and some forces plan to use artificial intelligence to analyse the vast material.
A senior source said: "There are millions of documents which we want unredacted. We need to turn that into evidence. It is a massive job. You are never going to get a conviction based on a few redacted emails." In a separate political development, the government said it would consider legislation to remove Andrew from the line of succession once the police investigations conclude. Andrew has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, while former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, also under investigation for misconduct in public office, has denied criminal wrongdoing and apologised for his association with Epstein.
