Prince Andrew faces new investigation in Virginia Giuffre sex trafficking case

British authorities have launched an investigation into Prince Andrew after leaked emails suggested he asked a police officer to obtain private information about Virginia Giuffre. According to the Mail on Sunday, the prince allegedly gave the officer Giuffre’s U.S. Social Security number and date of birth in 2011 to check her criminal record.

The message was reportedly sent to Queen Elizabeth II’s then–deputy press secretary shortly before the release of a 2001 photo showing Andrew with his arm around a 17-year-old Giuffre, alongside Ghislaine Maxwell. It remains unclear whether the officer followed through on the prince’s alleged request.

UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the leaked correspondence as “deeply concerning” and confirmed the matter is being investigated. Giuffre’s family reacted by saying the emails showed “the lengths to which those implicated try to discredit and defame survivors,” adding that “the truth will surface.”

Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41. She had long accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor as part of Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network. She filed a civil lawsuit in 2021, which was settled out of court the following year for an estimated $12 million.

Andrew has consistently denied all allegations. Following the lawsuit, Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his military titles, and more recently, both he and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were removed from royal duties due to ongoing controversies. The latest leak comes just days after he publicly reaffirmed his intention to “put duty to family and country first” in a statement issued through Buckingham Palace.