In a startling revelation today, it has come to light that one of the highest-ranking members of the King’s household was serving as head of royal protection when Prince Andrew allegedly sought police assistance to gather compromising information on Virginia Giuffre.

Lord Peter Rosslyn held the prestigious position as head of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection squad for an extensive period, from 2003 to 2014.

Known in his Metropolitan Police days as ‘Peter Loughborough’ to his peers, Lord Rosslyn now serves as the Lord Steward and Personal Secretary to both the King and Queen Camilla.

Sky News reports indicate uncertainty about whether Lord Rosslyn was informed of Prince Andrew’s alleged request made to one of his armed police bodyguards.

The Mail on Sunday uncovered that in 2011, while Lord Rosslyn occupied his senior role at Scotland Yard, Prince Andrew allegedly provided a police protection officer with Virginia Giuffre’s confidential social security number and date of birth.

The Metropolitan Police is currently ‘actively looking into the claims,’ raising the possibility that Prince Andrew may become the first royal involved in a criminal investigation in over two decades.

Commander Peter Loughborough, The Earl of Rosslyn from Reading is decorated with The Queen’s Police Medal by The Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2009. He was head of the elite Royalty and Diplomatic Protection squad for 11 years between 2003 and 2014 and now works for the King

The Mail on Sunday revealed that in 2011, when Lord Rosslyn held the senior Scotland Yard role, Andrew allegedly handed over Virginia’s confidential social security number and date of birth to his taxpayer-funded police protection officer.

The Lord Steward’s job is to manage all aspects of the King’s personal affairs and non-state business.

He also supports Queen Camilla.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment. 

The Mail on Sunday revealed how Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded police protection officer to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse victim, passing on Ms Giuffre’s date of birth and confidential social security number.

The Met’s former head of royalty protection Dai Davies urged the force to question the royal under caution if there was evidence that he abetted a police officer to commit a criminal offence of misconduct in public office.

Newly released documents reveal Andrew wanted Met officers to find damaging information in an apparent campaign to smear his teenage sex accuser just hours before a bombshell photograph was published in 2011 showing him with the 17-year-old.

The prince told Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary, that he had asked one of the officers who are part of the Met’s elite SO14 Royalty Protection Group to dig up information.

Andrew 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 has not been suggested that the officer complied with the prince’s request, while Ms Giuffre’s family said she did not have a criminal record.

On Sunday, the force launched an urgent internal inquiry. A Met spokesman said: ‘We are actively looking into the claims made.’

Scotland Yard is under pressure to launch a criminal investigation into Prince Andrew (left) after he asked a police bodyguard to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre, whom he is pictured with

But it could take weeks for officers to trawl through emails and police logs from 14 years ago to see if Andrew’s principal protection officer or any of the back-up team made any inquiries about Ms Giuffre.

Mr Davies said the email may constitute a criminal offence even if the officer did not act.

He said: ‘It is time for Scotland Yard to launch a full criminal investigation into Prince Andrew.

‘Asking a police officer to investigate an alleged victim is outside of their duties, whether that is calling the FBI, your mates in the US, or searching out themselves to find out whether someone has a criminal offence. That is, in my view, a criminal offence.

‘Asking a public servant, that includes anyone from the Palace or police, to commit those inquiries is inciting them, aiding and abetting them to commit misconduct in public office. It should be investigated and he should be interviewed under caution.

‘This is a serious matter. Police protection officers are not there to investigate, they are there to protect. The question is was this request carried out by anyone and if so, was there any attempt to pervert the course of justice?

‘There are also questions for the chain of command – who knew that he had made this request and why was it not reported?’

Details of the shocking email come after Andrew was forced to relinquish his remaining titles.