What you need to know
Authorities are “actively” investigating allegations that Prince Andrew tried to reveal information about Virginia Giuffre, who he accused of sexual assault before his death.
According to the BBC, Telegraph and Guardian newspapers, leaked email correspondence suggests that more than a decade ago, Andrew, 65, asked a taxpayer-funded police protection officer to reveal Giuffre’s personal details and provided her social security number and date of birth to the officer.
According to the Guardian, the leaked emails were sent in 2011, shortly before photos of Andrew and the underage Giuffre (who committed suicide at age 41 in April) surfaced. There is no suggestion that the officer complied with the Crown’s request, the newspaper reported.
A Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson told PEOPLE: “We are aware of the media reports and are actively investigating the allegations.”
MediaPunch Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the leaked emails as “deeply worrying” when he appeared on BBC One’s Politics show with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, October 19. Mr Miliband, 55, called for an investigation into the claims as this was “absolutely no way security personnel should be used”.
The leaked emails surfaced shortly after Royal Andrew stopped using royal titles and honors amid renewed interest in the royal family’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, October 17, Prince Andrew said he would no longer use his titles or honors because they interfered with the work of King Charles and the royal family.
Previous reports revealed another newly surfaced email from 2011 in which the royal family allegedly told Epstein that “they’re in this together,” the day after the infamous photo of Andrew with his arm around Giuffre was released. Emails from Mr Andrew to Mr Epstein also provided evidence that the two had been in contact after the royal family said it had cut ties with Mr Epstein.
Before her death, Giuffre filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Andrew, claiming that she was trafficked by Epstein when she was 17 and that Andrew forced her to have sex three times. Giuffre detailed the incident in her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, which was published on October 21. Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Max Manby/Indigo/Getty
Want the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
According to the BBC, Andrew and Guiffre reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022 that included a statement expressing regret for their relationship with Epstein, but did not include an admission of responsibility or an apology.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a significant donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” court documents filed at the time said. “Prince Andrew never intended to defame Ms. Giuffre’s character and accepts that she has suffered as a victim of abuse and as a result of unwarranted public attacks.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, please text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line (741-741). Connect with a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, emotional distress, substance use issues, or just want to talk, call or text 988 or chat 24/7 at 988lifeline.org.
