Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is facing a private prosecution over allegations of sexual assault, corruption and misconduct in public office in the wake of the Virginia Giuffre scandal.
Anti–monarchy campaign group Republic says it has instructed lawyers to investigate the ex-duke and, if appropriate, press ahead with legal proceedings.
The Daily Mail understands the allegations it is focusing on relate to allegations he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, that he asked a royal protection officer to look into her background and impropriety when he served as an official UK trade envoy.
Andrew is alleged to have sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was aged 17, and more recently was alleged in 2011 to have pressured one of his royal protection officers to investigate Giuffre, believing she had a criminal record.
It comes as earlier this evening, Buckingham Palace confirmed Andrew will no longer be known as a prince and is to leave Royal Lodge.
In a bombshell statement released tonight, the palace said he will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – with immediate effect.
Andrew, who has surrendered the Duke of York title and been all–but–eradicated from royal life, has previously denied all allegations against him.
But Republic says it is mounting its own bid to take him to court because the legal and political response to the claims has been ‘weak and inadequate’ to date.
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Andrew (pictured at the end of September driving out of his home at Royal Lodge at Windsor) could be privately prosecuted over allegations of sexual assault
Anti–monarchy group Republic says it intends to investigate allegations that the former Duke of York sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre (pictured)
The Royal Family released a public statement announcing Andrew would no longer be known as a prince and would be moving out of the Royal Lodge
It says it has made a ‘powerful, principled argument for justice to be done for the victims of sexual abuse, and for those who corrupt public office to be held accountable’.
‘If not us, then who?’ asked Graham Smith, CEO of the anti–monarchy group.
‘It’s a devastating indictment on the UK’s criminal justice system, police and politicians – not to mention the king and heir – that we must resort to a private prosecution.
‘It should be a cause for concern that so many people believe – rightly in my view – that the royals are not treated equally in law. Equality in law is a basic tenet of democracy.
‘I firmly believe there is strong enough evidence to justify a serious investigation. The authorities and politicians appear to want to look the other way, while minimising the accusations made against Andrew.
‘The truth must prevail and justice must be seen to be done.’
A private prosecution brought by Republic would not involve a statutory prosecutor such as Crown Prosecution Service, which brings cases on behalf of the Crown.
They are commonly brought by organisations such as the RSPCA, but can be brought by private individuals.
In some cases, a party wishing to bring a private prosecution may have to seek the consent of the Government’s top legal adviser the Attorney General, or the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is the head of the CPS.
The CPS also has the right to take on a private prosecution – and even to bring it to an end if it considers the prosecution to be brought maliciously.
Giuffre, who died by suicide on April 25 this year, alleged in her posthumous memoir Nobody’s Girl that Andrew was ‘entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright’.
She also outlined three occasions on which the Duke had sex with her, including at convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s house in London.
The Duke has denied ever meeting Virginia Giuffre. In 2022, he settled a US civil case she lodged for a reported £12million, reportedly receiving money from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to help meet the costs.
The settlement came with no admission of liability.
The Metropolitan Police said in January 2024 that it would not mount an investigation into allegations against the Duke of York, but would assess ‘new and relevant’ information as and when it came to light.
However, it said earlier this month it was ‘actively’ looking into the claims Andrew had asked his personal protection officer to investigate Ms Giuffre, and the Mail on Sunday understands he was interviewed by detectives at home last week.
A bombshell email published by the Mail on Sunday earlier this month revealed how Andrew asked his taxpayer–funded protection officer to dig into her past, two months after the infamous photo of him with Giuffre and Maxwell came to light.
In an extraordinary message to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary, he wrote: ‘It would also seem she has a criminal record in the States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on duty ppo [personal protection officer].’
It emerged earlier this month that Andrew had also told Jeffrey Epstein ‘we are in this together’ in an email sent after the picture of Giuffre was first published by the Mail on Sunday in 2011.
Members of anti–monarchy group Republic stood outside Andrew’s home – Royal Lodge at Great Windsor Park – last week to demand greater transparency
Andrew is set to leave his home at Royal Lodge (pictured) with his ex–wife, the former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson
