Ex-protection officers for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could face police trawl of emails, phone records and notebooks over allegations ex-prince asked them to ‘dig up dirt’ on Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s former personal protection officers face police combing through their emails, phone records and notebooks.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating claims that the disgraced former duke asked a police bodyguard to ‘dig up dirt’ on Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of underage sex.
A bombshell email previously obtained by The Mail on Sunday revealed how Andrew asked a taxpayer-funded Met officer to investigate Ms Giuffre and shared her date of birth and secret social security number.
Andrew later told Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary Ed Perkins that he had asked one of the Met’s personal protection officers, who are part of the elite SO14 Royal Protection Group, to gather information about Ms Giuffre.
He had emailed Mr. Perkins hours before this newspaper first published the duke’s infamous photograph with the 17-year-old Ms. Giuffre in 2011; this would ultimately lead to his downfall.
The police force, which is investigating the allegations, is meeting with at least two of Andrew’s former bodyguards to consider whether ‘further assessment or investigation is necessary’. Sun reported.
Andrew, who was sensationally stripped of his royal titles earlier this month, wrote in an email to Mr Perkins: ‘Apparently he also has a criminal record. [United] States.”
‘I gave him DoB [date of birth] Social security number and social security number for review with on-duty police officer XXX [personal protection officer].’
Virginia Giuffre says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, among others, with a photo of herself as a teenager
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (pictured), formerly the Duke of York, was stripped of all his royal titles earlier this month.
While it was not suggested that the police officer complied with the prince’s request, Ms. Giuffre’s family later said she had no criminal record.
If the request had been complied with, it would have breached data protection laws and could potentially amount to misconduct in public office.
In turn, the former Duke of York could also be accused of aiding abuses in a public office.
And if the case is reviewed by the Met, it will be the first time the former royal has been interviewed by officers since her relationship with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.
A source told Sun: ‘As part of the initial investigation of the incident, officers are currently attempting to establish what material is available.
‘They are actively trying to locate emails and communications from Andrew’s copyright protection team, as well as his notebooks.’
Internal Met emails are understood to have been deleted after six years. But the insider added that books on copyright protection and electronic devices were kept for three decades.
Former Metropolitan Royal Protection chief Dai Davies said there was now enough evidence for the former prince to be ‘carefully interviewed’.
“I have to ask why it has taken the Met so long to launch a proper investigation, because there is a clear prima facie case here,” he told the newspaper.
He added that if it were a general member of the public asking a police officer to do such a thing, the police would be ‘knocking on our door’.
Virginia Giuffre photographed with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2001
Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s Nobody’s Daughter is released on October 21, 2025
He also believes that notebooks and other documents kept by Andrew’s bodyguards could identify his whereabouts when Ms. Giuffre claims she had sex with the former duke.
It comes after the Mail on Sunday revealed Met detectives were examining Ms Giuffre’s memoirs after her death.
The MoS understands officers are reviewing Andrew’s book as part of a ‘scoping exercise’ into this newspaper’s revelations about his links to sex offender Epstein.
The memoirs of Ms. Giuffre, who committed suicide in April at the age of 41, were published in October.
In her book Nobody’s Daughter, she details how she was trafficked at the age of 17 and also accuses Andrew of being ‘entitled, as if he believed it was his birthright to have sex with me.’
He also described three incidents in which Ms. Giuffre claimed Andrew had sex with her. Andrew has repeatedly and vehemently denied her allegations.
This weekend, sources said that in addition to reviewing the email Andrew sent about his accuser, officers are also looking closely at Ms. Giuffre’s book to see if it contains any new clues.
The Mail on Sunday understands detectives have not yet spoken to Andrew.
The Daily Mail has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
