On Sunday evening, law enforcement faced increasing demands to initiate a comprehensive investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as the UK’s trade envoy.
Prominent political leaders have called for a criminal investigation following new allegations suggesting that the disgraced royal misused his position to disclose sensitive information, potentially to individuals such as the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
This development coincides with the release of all three million files related to Epstein’s activities.
Authorities may explore charges of misconduct in public office against Andrew, amid claims that he shared confidential government reports during his international duties.
Additionally, police are currently evaluating allegations that Epstein arranged for a woman to travel to the UK for a sexual encounter with Andrew at his residence in Windsor.
In a further escalation, the nation’s leading prosecutor emphasized on Sunday that the 65-year-old former Duke of York is not immune from legal scrutiny.
On Sunday night Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘The Epstein revelations are hugely damaging to public trust in our institutions. It’s clear Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor abused his position as trade envoy, sharing sensitive information about the UK’s interests with his friend, and convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.
‘The police are rightfully looking into this as we need full transparency to get justice for the victims of this abhorrent abuse. That must also include a public inquiry.’
Police are facing mounting calls to investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over leaking sensitive information while working as the UK’s trade envoy
Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk together in New York’s Central Park on December 5, 2010
Andrew features a number of times in the Epstein files, including images apparently showing him crouching over an unidentified woman in what appears to be Epstein’s New York mansion.
Andrew, who was stripped of his remaining royal titles last year, served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment from 2001 to 2011.
The role allowed him to travel around the world at the taxpayer’s expense and gave him privileged access to senior political and business figures. But some of the Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice appear to show that he – like New Labour architect Peter Mandelson – used the position to forward official documents including sensitive information to Epstein, who took his own life in a prison cell in 2019.
The huge dossier includes emails showing that the King’s brother allowed Epstein to organise meetings for him during an official trade mission to China. Photographs also show him socialising with a Chinese model during the 2010 trip.
Files reveal that earlier that year he passed on a confidential Treasury briefing on Iceland’s financial crisis to a banker friend. He also forwarded messages about taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland to his adviser David Stern, who sent them on to Epstein.
Andrew even tried to arrange a meeting with Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi for Epstein, at the sex offender’s request, although it did not go ahead.
Senior Tory MP Alex Burghart said: ‘Leaking sensitive Government information is incredibly serious, and these latest reports about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are therefore extremely concerning. No stone should be left unturned to get to the truth… It is vital we find out exactly what happened and due action is taken.’
Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Cabinet minister Dame Priti Patel told GB News: ‘Everyone that’s been involved should be subject to the right kind of inquiries, police investigations.
‘What has taken place and happened is absolutely abhorrent, and it’s right that everyone is scrutinised in terms of their roles, what has happened, information, papers that may have been shared and disclosed.’ A spokesman for Reform UK said: ‘It is now time that the police launch an investigation into Andrew Mountbatten’s disgraceful leaks as trade envoy. No one is above the law.’
Andrew waves goodbye to a woman leaving Epstein’s home in New York in December 2010
Labour’s Rachael Maskell, the York MP who led calls for the royal to be stripped of his Duke of York title, said: ‘It is important to have a clear understanding as to what occurred and what was shared on these trade visits… if classified information was leaked then a full investigation should take place.’
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said: ‘Nobody is above the law. It’s my job to enforce the law and I do so without fear or favour, and that is unaffected by the status of the individual concerned.’
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said the force continued ‘to assess all relevant information’. Last week Buckingham Palace said: ‘The King has made clear his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct… If we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect.’
Andrew has denied wrongdoing in relation to allegations of sexual misconduct. He has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations about his role as envoy.
