Police Probe Expands to Royal Ascot Claim
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing a police investigation that now includes an allegation he behaved inappropriately towards a woman at Royal Ascot, according to a report. The claim relates to the 2002 racing meeting, a high-profile fixture on the royal summer calendar, and comes as Thames Valley Police continue to examine wider allegations linked to his time as a UK trade envoy.
The alleged incident is said to have taken place at Royal Ascot in Berkshire in 2002, and officers “are following all reasonable lines of inquiry”, The Guardian reported, citing the Sunday Times and a police statement.
Thames Valley Police previously indicated their inquiry extends beyond suspicion of misconduct in public office and also covers potential sexual misconduct. Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on his 66th birthday and questioned under criminal caution on suspicion of misconduct in public office connected to his role as a British trade envoy; he denies wrongdoing.
The force has also appealed for witnesses who believe they have information relating to alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud, or the sharing of confidential information involving the King’s brother, as outlined in Britpop News reporting on the widening investigation. Police said some potential witnesses may have assumed detectives were only interested in alleged sharing of confidential information.
The Guardian said detectives are assessing a separate claim from a woman in the United States who alleges she was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes, though this has not yet become a full criminal investigation. The report added that investigators face challenges including whether the trade envoy role falls within misconduct in public office rules and the process of obtaining original documents referenced in US Department of Justice material.
