NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Prince Andrew is reportedly being investigated by the Metropolitan Police for allegedly asking one of his taxpayer-funded personal protection officers to obtain personal information about Virginia Giuffre, who previously accused the royal of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager.
On Oct. 19, The Mail on Sunday published leaked emails suggesting Andrew, 65, passed Giuffre’s date of birth and her Social Security number to his bodyguard and suggested she might have a criminal record in the U.S.
The leaked emails were reportedly sent hours before the 2011 release of a now-infamous photo showing Andrew with an underage Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at age 41. The Mail on Sunday reported that there was no suggestion the officer acted on the alleged request. Giuffre’s family has said that she did not have a criminal record.
PRINCE ANDREW GIVES UP ROYAL TITLE WITH KING CHARLES’ SUPPORT
“We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told the Guardian.
Representatives for the Metropolitan Police and Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital the palace does not comment on Prince Andrew, as he’s no longer a working royal.
During an appearance on BBC One’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,” U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the allegations as “deeply concerning” and said they should be investigated, per the Guardian.
“It’s absolutely not the way that close protection officers should be used,” Miliband said.
The leaked emails emerged days after Andrew announced that he had relinquished his royal titles and honors due to the accusations connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
On Friday, Andrew released a statement shortly after excerpts were published from an upcoming posthumous memoir by Giuffre, who has alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell and had sex with Andrew when she was 17.
“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew’s statement read. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” the statement continued. “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
While he will no longer be referred to as the Duke of York, Prince Andrew remains a prince as he is the son of the late Queen Elizabeth. His Royal Highness title has been inactive since 2019 when he stepped down from royal duties.
After the news broke, Giuffre’s family released a statement, telling Fox News Digital: “We, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, believe that Prince Andrew’s decision to give up his titles is vindication for our sister and survivors everywhere. This decisive action is a powerful step forward in our fight to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s child sex-trafficking network to justice. Further, we believe it is appropriate for King Charles to remove the title of Prince.”
“This moment serves as victory for Virginia, who consistently maintained, ‘He knows what happened, I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.’ This is not just a victory for her, but for every single survivor of the horrific crimes perpetrated by Epstein and his co-conspirators.”
Giuffre’s family pointed to alleged emails that recently surfaced between Epstein and Prince Andrew from 2011, contradicting the royal’s claim he ceased contact with the multi-millionaire in 2010.
“We hope that the days of impunity for the powerful are over, and protection for predators will no longer be tolerated,” the statement concluded. “We hope a higher standard has been set for our leaders in office in the United States – one we will work tirelessly to follow here. It is time for accountability, transparency, and justice for all survivors.”
In 2021, Giuffre filed a sexual abuse lawsuit in New York against Andrew, who denied all allegations. The royal claimed he never met her and that the photo of them together might be fake.
After a U.S. judge rejected Andrew’s bid to dismiss the case, the two sides reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2022.
Andrew did not admit liability but agreed to pay Giuffre an undisclosed sum and to make a donation to a charity supporting abuse victims.
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
Read the full article here
