Woman at centre of fresh Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegations was Royal Ascot waitress

It has been revealed that the woman at the center of the allegations involving Royal Ascot’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was working as a waitress at the famous racing festival when the alleged incident occurred.

The allegation, which dates back almost a quarter of a century, is now being examined by detectives as part of a much wider investigation into Andrew for alleged misconduct in public office.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred during Royal Ascot in June 2002, when Queen Elizabeth was attending the prestigious Berkshire racing festival as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.

At the time, Andrew was a prominent member of the Royal Family and was photographed attending the meeting alongside his siblings, the future King and Prince Edward.

Last week it was revealed police were investigating allegations that Andrew acted inappropriately with a woman during the incident.

The woman is understood to be working as a temporary waitress for the festival, which employs hundreds of additional hospitality staff each year to meet the needs of guests at the royal reserve and private accommodation.

It is not yet known whether the allegation was officially reported at that time. Sources suggest racetrack management may not have been informed of the alleged incident in 2002.

The development comes as Thames Valley Police continue an increasingly wide-ranging investigation into Andrew following his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The 66-year-old man was detained for 11 hours before being released under investigation.

Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The investigation, which initially focused on his decade-long role as Britain’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, has since expanded significantly.

Detectives are examining allegations linked to her relationship with convicted pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and are also assessing whether other crimes may have been committed.

Earlier this month, police revealed their investigations were considering a wider range of potential crimes than previously understood, including allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption.

Senior officers said any new evidence that emerged could either be incorporated into the existing misconduct investigation or pursued separately.

Asked about the alleged Royal Ascot incident, a Thames Valley spokesman said: ‘We cannot go into the details of our ongoing investigation but we are pursuing all reasonable avenues of investigation.’

The force had previously confirmed that specialist investigators were working on the case, including officers with experience in serious sexual crime investigations and financial crime experts.

Detectives also searched Andrew’s former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor and his current home at Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where materials were seized for examination.

The investigation reached senior figures connected to Andrew’s former public duties.

Former Business Secretary Vince Cable confirmed police had contacted him about a wider investigation and sought witness statements.

The royal was photographed with his brother, the Prince of Wales, at Berkshire racecourse

Meanwhile, new questions have arisen over claims that emails showing Andrew shared confidential government information with a business partner were forwarded to Buckingham Palace several years ago.

The documents reportedly formed part of a High Court dispute involving businessman Jonathan Rowland and were allegedly passed to the Lord Chamberlain, the royal family’s most senior official, in 2020.

The King has previously stated that he will cooperate fully with any police investigation into his brother.

Buckingham Palace said: ‘As there is an ongoing police investigation into Mr Mountbatten-Windsor it is not possible to make any comment on these matters.’

Ascot Racecourse has refused to comment publicly on the allegations, but sources said the organization would co-operate with any requests for assistance from police.

Royal Ascot has long been one of the most prestigious events on the British social and sporting calendar.

Andrew was a regular attendee for many years and famously hosted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the royal venue in 2000.

His last appearance at the event was in 2019, shortly before he stood down from public duties following his controversial BBC Newsnight interview.

Police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and it could take months for detectives to decide whether to present the evidence to prosecutors.