Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is under investigation over an allegation of inappropriate behaviour towards a waitress at Royal Ascot, according to reports. The royal, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is being probed by Thames Valley Police detectives regarding an incident at the racing festival in 2002.
Details of the Allegation
The annual horse race in Berkshire was attended by the late Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals, including King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, that year. The woman at the centre of the allegations was working as a waitress at the time, The Sunday Times reports. It remains unclear when the claim was reported, and it is not thought that racecourse staff were made aware of it at the time.
Police Investigation
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson told Metro: ‘We cannot go into specifics of the investigation, but we are following all reasonable lines of enquiry.’ Andrew attended at least two days of the five-day festival in June 2002, which coincided with the late Queen’s Golden Jubilee marking 50 years of her reign. During the festival, he was pictured alongside Charles and his younger brother, Prince Edward.
Broader Probe
The allegation is part of a wider investigation into Andrew over allegations of misconduct in public office (MiPO) during his decade-long stint as a government trade envoy. Andrew was arrested in February, on his 66th birthday, on suspicion of MiPO and held in custody for 11 hours before being released under investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing. The arrest came shortly after the US Justice Department released files as part of its investigation into the dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew’s association with Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial, eventually ended his career as a working royal. It was through Epstein that Andrew reportedly met Virginia Giuffre, who was groomed and trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She claimed she had sex with the then-prince three times. Andrew denied her allegations but paid an undisclosed sum in a 2022 civil settlement.
Scope of Inquiry
Initially, the police probe was thought to focus only on Andrew’s actions as a trade envoy. However, Thames Valley revealed earlier this month that its inquiry is considering other allegations. Any new evidence could form part of its ongoing investigation or be pursued as ‘standalone’ offences, it has been reported. Metro has contacted Andrew and Ascot Racecourse for comment.
