Met Police Begin Inquiries Into Royal Protection Officers Over Epstein Island Visits With Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The Metropolitan Police has launched "initial inquiries" into claims that royal protection officers may have "turned a blind eye" during trips to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The inquiries follow allegations from an unnamed former senior officer who said members of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) unit travelled with Andrew to Little St James at least twice. On one occasion, they reportedly flew on Epstein’s private jet, widely known as the "Lolita Express". Multiple women have said they were trafficked to and abused on the Caribbean island, which Epstein bought in 1998.
Speaking to LBC, the former officer raised concerns about what the protection team may have witnessed. He said: "The big question for me is what Andrew’s protection team witnessed on Epstein island. I'm not suggesting they definitely witnessed any criminality from Andrew, but there was concern that certain members of the royal protection team wilfully turned a blind eye to what was happening on the island."
He also claimed some officers felt unable to speak up. " Royal Family than to the Met - and that’s wrong." He added: "There were occasions in the past where an officer reported the behaviour of a royal and the next day they were removed from the unit and put back in uniform."
Andrew has consistently denied all allegations against him. He previously reached a financial settlement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that she was made to have sex with the former prince on several occasions, though it did not amount to an admission of guilt.
In response to the inquiries, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Protection officers are held to the same high standards of professional behaviour as all police officers. At this time, we have not identified any wrongdoing by any protection officers in relation to these matters. However, initial enquiries into these specific allegations have begun so we can establish the facts."
The force added: "Should any new allegations come to light these will be assessed in the usual way. This includes any misconduct or criminal matters. It would be inappropriate for us to comment further while other enquiries related to these matters are ongoing."
If concerns are identified, the case could be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Several UK police forces are now reviewing material connected to Epstein. Essex Police is examining flight records linked to Stansted Airport, where it is believed dozens of Epstein’s private flights landed, and Thames Valley Police is assessing allegations that a woman was sent to the UK for a meeting with Andrew in 2010. Surrey Police has asked anyone with information about alleged offences dating back to the 1990s to come forward. Other forces, including Bedfordshire Police, Norfolk Constabulary and Police Scotland, are also reviewing information.
The National Police Chiefs' Council has set up a national coordination group to support the growing number of inquiries.
