Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s emails and documents should have been searched by the Metropolitan Police following reports he asked an officer to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre, Britain’s anti-monarchy campaign Republic group told Newsweek.
Giuffre said she was trafficked to London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands and made to have sex with Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001, fearing death if she refused. Andrew has always denied the allegations.
In 2011, she did her first media interview with a U.K. newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, putting into the public domain for the first time a now-famous photograph of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist in Maxwell’s London townhouse. Giuffre said it was taken in March 2001 by Epstein.
Why It Matters
In October this year, London’s Metropolitan Police said it was “actively looking into” reports in a U.K. newspaper of an email Andrew sent to a Buckingham Palace press officer a day before that first interview was published. Some including Dai Davies, a former head of Royalty Protection at the Metropolitan Police, argued that amounted to the criminal offense of Misconduct in a Public Office.
What to Know
The message, published by The Mail on Sunday in October, read: “It would also seem she [Virginia Giuffre] has a criminal record in the States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with [redacted], the on duty ppo [personal protection officer].”
On Saturday, the police announced they would not launch a full investigation, leaving Giuffre’s family saying in a statement that “justice has not been served.”
Ella Marriott, Central Specialist Crime Commander at the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement: “Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS has carried out a further assessment. This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.”
Republic, Britain’s anti-monarchy pressure group, has now told Newsweek the police should have asked Buckingham Palace for Andrew’s emails and also searched his home, which is, according to The Mail on Sunday, full of documents and photographs, because Andrew is a natural hoarder.
Graham Smith, chief executive of anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, told Newsweek: “There needs to be some kind of inquiry into the relationship between the police and royals because there’s a pattern building up of them just refusing to investigate serious accusations.
“The police have done the absolute bare minimum. I don’t think they’ve engaged with the palace or the royals at all as far as we can see. If someone is accused of these sort of offenses you would expect them to properly investigate, including doing things like searching files and computers and so on.”
In addition to Andrew, Smith cited the “cash for honors” scandal, which led to the resignation of Michael Fawcett, the chief executive of King Charles III’s charity The King’s Foundation following reports Fawcett offered to help a Saudi tycoon pursue a knighthood and British citizenship in exchange for charity donations. Police announced they would take no further action in 2023.
Andrew Lownie, author of Andrew biography Entitled, told Newsweek: “What’s increasingly become obvious to me is that Andrew’s been protected for years and the protection continues and there’s just this huge cover-up.
“I mean, I think we’re owed a statement of who the police have interviewed and why they don’t think there’s a case, when it’s pretty clear there is.”
Newsweek approached the Metropolitan Police and Andrew’s former representatives for comment. He no longer has ongoing representation.
In 2021, Giuffre sued Andrew at civil court in New York and he settled for an undisclosed sum without admitting liability. Andrew has always denied the allegations.
However, Giuffre’s account was never tested in court before she passed away in April following what her family described as a suicide.
What People Are Saying
Giuffre’s family replied in a statement published in The Guardian on Saturday: “We emailed with a detective from the Metropolitan Police yesterday, Friday, December 12th, who gave us no indication that this announcement was imminent.
“Indeed, he asked us if we had any evidence we would like to present; we had not yet replied. With the Epstein files about to be released by [the U.S.] Congress since the passage of the Epstein Transparency Act, we are surprised that the Metropolitan Police didn’t wait to see what further evidence might appear.
“While we have hailed the UK’s overall handling of the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor previously, today we feel justice has not been served.
“We continue to challenge the system that protects abusers, especially as more evidence comes to light that can hold people accountable. Our sister Virginia, and all survivors, are owed this much.”
The Metropolitan Police Statement in Full
Ella Marriott, the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Commander, said in a statement: “Our thoughts will always be with Ms Giuffre’s family and friends following her death.
“In 2015, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) received allegations relating to non-recent trafficking for sexual exploitation involving Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. These allegations primarily concerned events outside the United Kingdom, with one allegation of trafficking to central London in March 2001.
“Officers assessed all available evidence at the time, interviewed the complainant, Ms Virginia Giuffre as well as contacting several other potential victims. This did not result in any allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based nationals. The MPS sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and liaised with United States authorities, who were leading investigations into related matters involving U.S. nationals.
“Following this legal advice, it was clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities outside the UK and perpetrators based overseas. Officers therefore concluded, in consultation with the CPS, that other international authorities were best placed to progress these allegations.
“Officers maintained close liaison with the United States and other relevant authorities throughout their investigation to ensure any UK matters could be identified and to consider any support requested.
“A decision was made in November 2016 not to proceed to a full criminal investigation. That decision was reviewed in August 2019 and again in 2021 and 2022; in each instance, the position remained unchanged, and Ms Giuffre and her legal representative were informed.
“Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS has carried out a further assessment. This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.
“The Met remains committed to thoroughly assessing any new information that could assist in this matter. To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation. In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action. As with any other matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention, including in any information resulting from the release of material in the U.S., we will assess it.”
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