Buckingham Palace Says Serious New Allegations Against Prince Andrew Must Be Fully Investigated

A palace source says new allegations against Prince Andrew should be “examined in the appropriate way” after he announced that he would give up use of his royal titles and honors.

After the Metropolitan Police confirmed to PEOPLE over the weekend that they are “actively” looking into allegations that Prince Andrew attempted to uncover personal information about Virginia Giuffre, royal sources told the BBC on Monday, Oct. 20, that the claims are being treated by Buckingham Palace with “very great concern and should be examined in the appropriate ways to the fullest extent.”

Leaked email correspondence suggests that Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded police protection officer to uncover personal information about Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, over a decade ago, providing the officer with her social security number and date of birth to do so, according to the BBC, The Telegraph and The Guardian.

King Charles‘ brother, 65, announced on Friday, Oct. 17, that he would give up use of his royal title as the Duke of York and other honors amid renewed interest in his relationship to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

A royal source also told the BBC that they were expecting “more days of pain ahead” in the scandal.

Giuffre’s forthcoming posthumous memoir went into detail about her alleged sexual encounters with Prince Andrew. In addition, a newly surfaced 2011 email in which Andrew tells Epstein that they “are in this together” appeared to show that the pair’s relationship went on longer than the prince has claimed.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

The source told the BBC that the royal family’s focus was on Epstein’s victims and the “whole network of girls and young women who were abused and treated appallingly.”

In a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday, Queen Elizabeth’s second son said he will no longer use his title or honors, as it distracts from the work of the King and the royal family.

“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Prince Andrew said in the statement. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.”

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me,” he added. “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

Prince Andrew stepped back from his royal role in 2019 following his disastrous BBC interview in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein.

Queen Elizabeth then stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages in January 2022 after a judge rejected his attempt to have Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed. He settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum.

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Prince Andrew has continued to join the royals at family gatherings since, but The Sunday Times recently reported that Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, wouldn’t be welcomed by King Charles for their annual Christmas outing at Sandringham this year. Similar to 2024, when Andrew’s Chinese spy scandal was in the headlines and Sarah was “enlisted” to keep him from the family festivities, the monarch reportedly asked the pair to keep a low profile at the holidays and celebrate on their own.

A source close to the monarch told the outlet, “You can’t sack someone from being your brother. But this year, if the duke and duchess were both to be as honorable [as last year], it would be very much for the best and the family would not be disappointed, not least to avoid the King having to make any more difficult decisions.”