Thames Valley police have asked anyone with information about alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to come forward as they widen a criminal investigation linked to his time as a British trade envoy.
The force said the case is already moving through a large volume of material from witnesses and other sources, while detectives with expertise in sexual offences continue to examine a separate claim from a woman who says she was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes. Andrew, 66, denies all wrongdoing.
Assistant chief constable Oliver Wright said the inquiry is complex because misconduct in public office can cover several different forms of conduct. “Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation,” he said. He added that experienced detectives were working “meticulously” through information already received and would follow “all reasonable lines of inquiry, wherever they may lead.”
Police said the invitation for witnesses is broad because the offence can include sexual misconduct, wilful neglect of duty, perverting the course of justice and dishonest or fraudulent conduct. Officers are also expected to seek documents and witnesses about what was expected of the trade envoy role in terms of behaviour and ethics, and to obtain material from the royal household and government departments involved in his appointment.
The inquiry has sharpened after Andrew was arrested and questioned under criminal caution in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The suspicion related to his role as a British trade envoy, and investigators believe he may also have passed information to Jeffrey Epstein. The Metropolitan police assessed claims against him twice and declined to investigate, but Thames Valley police are now pursuing the matter themselves.
Wright said the force had already engaged with the woman’s legal representative and would handle any report “with care, sensitivity and respect,” while encouraging anyone with information to contact police through normal non-urgent channels, including the online portal. The woman lives in the US, and detectives have contacted her through her lawyer.
The wider significance is hard to miss. This is no longer only about the embarrassment that drove Andrew out of public royal life after the outrage over his friendship with Epstein. It is now a live criminal probe into what was done, what was expected and what information moved between powerful circles. Whether the next breakthrough comes from a witness, a government file or the royal household, that is where the pressure now sits.
