London’s Metropolitan Police said it was “actively investigating” a newspaper report that Prince Andrew asked an officer assigned to him as his bodyguard to “dig up dirt” on the sexual assault accuser. Virginie Giuffre in 2011.
The report, which appeared in the Mail on Sunday, says Andrew provided the bodyguard with Giuffre’s date of birth and confidential social security number to try to find out whether she had a criminal record or potentially damaging information about him just before the British newspaper published a photo of Giuffre’s first meeting with the prince.
It is unclear whether the officer complied with the request. Giuffre’s family said she had no criminal record.
The report follows Buckingham Palace’s announcement on Friday that Andrew had agreed to renounce his royal title The Duke of York and other British honors after emails were released showing he remained in contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for longer than he previously admitted.
“In discussions with the King and my immediate and extended family, we concluded that the continued accusations about me were distracting from the work of Her Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, said in the statement. “I have decided, as I always have, to prioritize my duty to my family and my country. I stand by my decision of five years ago to retire from public life.”
Giuffre, who death by suicide in April, Andrew continued. in 2021, alleging he forced her to engage in sexual acts against her will when she was 17. She accused Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, of trafficking her to Andrew. Both reached an amicable settlement in 2022. Andrew has denied the allegations.
In a statement to CBS News, Guiffre’s family said they believed Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his royal titles was “vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere.” They asked Charles to remove the title of prince from him.
“This moment is a victory for Virginia, who has always said, ‘He knows what happened, I know what happened, and there is only one of us telling the truth, and I know it’s me,'” the statement said. “This is not only a victory for her, but for every survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
The emergence of the emails was another blow to the House of Windsor after years of sordid headlines about Andrew’s dodgy friends and suspicious business dealings.
The move to shield the monarchy from Andrew’s scandals has continued since November 2019, when he abandoned all public duties and charitable roles after a disastrous interview as he sought to counter media reports about his friendship with Epstein and deny allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old Giuffre.
Andrew has been widely criticized for his lack of empathy towards Epstein’s victims and for offering incredible explanations about his friendship with the disgraced financier.
The BBC interview, in which he said he had cut off all contact with Epstein in 2010, came back to haunt him and sowed the seeds of his demotion when it emerged that he had emailed Epstein 12 weeks later. Prince Andrew told Epstein in the memo that they were “in this together” and “should rise above it.”
British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who represented the government on Sunday morning news programs, said a police officer should not be enlisted in a smear campaign.
“These are deeply concerning allegations,” Miliband told the BBC. “I think people want to look at these allegations and what’s in them. But if this is true, this is absolutely not how close protection officers should be used.”
In his statement on Friday, Andrew said he continued to “vigorously deny” the accusations.
As well as being known as the Duke of York, Andrew will also relinquish other titles: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
He will remain prince, a title given to him at birth.
