British authorities said Friday that their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has widened beyond questions surrounding his conduct as a trade envoy and now includes potential sexual misconduct allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network.
Thames Valley Police confirmed investigators are examining a range of possible offenses connected to former Prince Andrew’s role as the United Kingdom’s special representative for trade and investment from 2001 to 2011. Those potential offenses include sexual misconduct, fraud, corruption, abuse of power, and misconduct in public office.
Police also issued a public appeal for witnesses and what they described as “victim survivors” to come forward as the inquiry expands.
The latest development marks a major escalation in the long-running fallout from Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Allegations tied to Windsor and Epstein’s network
Investigators are reportedly reviewing allegations that a woman was brought to Mountbatten-Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes connected to Epstein’s operation. Authorities stressed that no formal sex crime charges have been filed against Andrew at this stage.
The investigation originally began earlier this year after newly released Epstein-related files from the U.S. Department of Justice raised questions about the former Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein during his years serving as Britain’s trade envoy.
Those documents were released following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan measure led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna.
According to the released materials, investigators began examining whether Andrew may have shared confidential trade information with Epstein while representing the British government abroad.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, questioned for roughly 11 hours and later released under investigation. The arrest made him the first British royal taken into custody in nearly four centuries.
British investigators are also attempting to secure unredacted Epstein files from U.S. authorities while several police forces across the United Kingdom conduct related inquiries into alleged trafficking and abuse connected to Epstein’s operations in Britain.
A relationship that extended beyond public claims
Andrew and Epstein were introduced in 1999 through longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Over the following years, Epstein and Maxwell were welcomed at royal properties including Buckingham Palace and Sandringham House.
Court records and witness testimony later showed the former prince spent extended periods at Epstein’s Florida mansion, where he reportedly received daily massages.
In his widely criticized 2019 interview with the BBC, Mountbatten-Windsor claimed he traveled to New York in 2010 only to end his friendship with Epstein after Epstein’s earlier conviction.
But unsealed emails and court documents later contradicted that account.
The records showed the two men remained in contact well into 2011. In one exchange, Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly suggested possible investment opportunities and told Epstein they were “in this together.”
Giuffre allegations remain central to public scrutiny
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied allegations made by Epstein accusers, including the late Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell as a minor and forced into sexual encounters with the disgraced royal. She sued him in U.S. court for sexual assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Mountbatten-Windsor denied ever sexually abusing Giuffre and claimed he had no recollection of meeting her, despite a widely circulated photograph showing the two together.
In 2022, the British Royal Family reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre reportedly worth about £12 million. The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly contributed £7 million, another £3 million came from the estate of Prince Philip, and then-Prince Charles contributed roughly £1.5 million.
The settlement included no admission of liability.
Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her farmhouse in Western Australia. She was 41.
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