Lead: On Saturday, 13 December 2025, the Metropolitan Police in London announced it will take no further action over reports that Prince Andrew asked a personal protection officer in 2011 to conduct checks on Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her as a teenager and died by suicide in April. The force said a fresh assessment found no new evidence of criminality or misconduct that would justify reopening an inquiry. The move follows public scrutiny of Andrew’s ties to the Jeffrey Epstein network and the removal of his prince title in October.
Key takeaways
- The Metropolitan Police conducted a further assessment following media reports about an alleged 2011 request; the statement was issued on 13 December 2025.
- The review found no additional evidence of criminal offences or misconduct and concluded there is no basis to reopen an inquiry.
- Virginia Giuffre, who made sexual-abuse allegations against Andrew, died by suicide in April; the Met treated that context as part of its assessment.
- In October 2025 King Charles removed Andrew’s title and residency at Windsor amid fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
- Andrew, styled Mountbatten-Windsor in official references, has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.
- The Met’s decision is procedural: it rests on whether new, credible evidence exists, rather than on civil or reputational matters.
Background
The allegation at issue stems from a 2011 timeframe when, according to media reports, Prince Andrew asked a member of his close-protection staff to check details relating to Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre had publicly accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager, allegations he has long denied. The wider controversy ties back to Jeffrey Epstein, the U.S. financier whose network and criminal conduct prompted investigations and public inquiries in multiple jurisdictions.
In October 2025, amid sustained media coverage and public pressure, King Charles formally removed Andrew’s HRH style and his residential arrangements at Windsor as a means to distance the royal household. London’s Metropolitan Police separately said in October it was “actively looking” into reporting about the alleged 2011 request; that earlier remark prompted the latest reassessment that concluded on 13 December. The police stress that reopening an investigation requires new evidence that meets legal thresholds.
Main event
The Metropolitan Police issued a statement on Saturday saying it had carried out a further assessment after recent reporting suggested Andrew had asked his close-protection officer to carry out checks on Giuffre in 2011. The force reported that the additional review did not uncover any new evidence of criminal acts or misconduct involving serving officers. The statement made clear the decision not to proceed was contingent on the absence of further information that would warrant reopening an investigation.
Met detectives said they had not received material that would satisfy the threshold for investigation or disciplinary proceedings. The force reiterated the standard it applies when considering reopening matters: assessment of credible, relevant new information and whether it could reasonably lead to an investigation. As framed by the Met, the recent press coverage itself did not produce the evidentiary fresh material required.
Prince Andrew, referred to in official communications as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, continues to publicly deny the allegations that have been levelled against him. While legal and civil actions linked to the Epstein network have affected his public standing, the Met’s decision addresses only whether its own criminal-justice processes should be reactivated on the basis of newly surfaced evidence.
Analysis & implications
The Metropolitan Police outcome narrows the immediate criminal-justice pathway in the United Kingdom for the specific allegation that prompted the reassessment. A finding of “no further action” does not equate to a factual determination on all allegations; rather, it reflects the force’s view on the sufficiency of newly available evidence to meet investigative thresholds. For observers, that distinction between evidentiary sufficiency and broader credibility judgments will be critical.
Politically and institutionally, the decision relieves one point of pressure on the Met and the royal household, but reputational and civil consequences persist. King Charles’s October action to strip Andrew’s title remains a separate, discretionary decision by the monarchy and is not reversed by police findings. Public appetite for transparency and accountability, particularly in high-profile cases involving alleged abuse, means scrutiny is likely to continue through media, advocacy groups, and any civil litigation that may be relevant.
Internationally, the outcome may influence parallel inquiries or reporting in other jurisdictions, but it does not preclude external authorities from assessing related material under their own legal standards. For prosecutors and investigators elsewhere, the presence or absence of new evidence in the UK might shape—but not determine—decisions to open or pursue separate lines of inquiry.
Comparison & data
| Year / Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Alleged request (per media reports) that a protection officer check Virginia Giuffre |
| April (year reported) | Virginia Giuffre died by suicide |
| October 2025 | King Charles removed Prince Andrew’s title and Windsor residency |
| 13 December 2025 | Metropolitan Police announced no further action after reassessment |
The table (above) sets out the public timeline elements the Met referenced in its reassessment. The police decision turns on whether new, credible evidence exists beyond the material already examined; according to the Met, none was found in this follow-up.
Reactions & quotes
The Metropolitan Police framed the outcome as an evidence-based decision rather than a comment on the credibility of wider allegations:
“Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close-protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the Metropolitan Police Service has carried out a further assessment.”
Metropolitan Police Service (official statement)
“To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation. In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action.”
Metropolitan Police Service (official statement)
Outside official circles, commentators emphasize that procedural conclusions by police do not erase ongoing public debate or civil legal avenues. Victim-rights advocates and media outlets articulated a desire for continued transparency about how decisions were reached and what evidence was considered.
Unconfirmed
- Whether any contemporaneous records (emails, logs, notes) exist that document the alleged 2011 request; the Met stated no such evidence surfaced in the reassessment.
- Details about the scope and findings of any internal checks by protection staff in 2011 remain unreported in public sources.
- Any additional witnesses or contemporaneous testimony that could alter the evidence assessment have not been produced publicly.
Bottom line
The Metropolitan Police’s announcement on 13 December 2025 closes the specific, recent investigative thread opened in response to media reporting about a 2011 alleged request, on the basis that no new evidence meeting investigative thresholds was identified. This is a procedural closure rather than a judicial verdict on the broader allegations that have shadowed Prince Andrew for years.
Readers should treat the Met’s decision as one element in a broader public and legal context: reputational, civil, and cross-border inquiries can remain active independently. Watch for any release of contemporaneous records, new witnesses, or legal filings that could change the evidence picture and prompt a reassessment by authorities.
Sources
- CNN (international news report summarizing Reuters reporting)
- Metropolitan Police Service (official statement / law enforcement)
- Reuters (news agency)