Thames Valley Police renewed a call for witnesses on May 22 as its investigation into former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continues. Investigators are also assessing claims of possible sexual misconduct, while pointing to related allegations that emerged
LONDON—Five days after May 22 arrived. a door still wasn’t closed for the woman at the center of an alleged incident in Windsor more than a decade ago. Thames Valley Police used the same public appeal language again—asking people with information to come forward—while making clear the investigation into former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is not confined to one narrow thread.
“Our misconduct in public office investigation is continuing. Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation,” Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement on Friday, May 22.
Police said they are assessing reports “that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes.” The woman has not been named.
They also said they have “engaged with the woman’s legal representative to confirm that, should she wish to report this to police, it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and her right for an anonymity.”
The appeal comes after the former royal—now 66—was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office during his years as a U.K. trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011. Misconduct in public office is described as a complicated offense that covers many different forms. including fraud. sexual misconduct and willful neglect of duty. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Stripped of his royal titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, Andrew has continuously denied allegations against him.
Thames Valley Police said the investigation is examining “a number of aspects of alleged misconduct following the release of files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act in the United States.” The statement ties the renewed focus on witnesses to documentation released by the U.S. Justice Department, which indicates that Andrew allegedly passed confidential government information to Epstein during his time as U.K. trade envoy.
Police said they have spent the months since Andrew’s February arrest working with the U.S. Justice Department to gather further information that may be related to the investigation.
One of the most prominent figures in Epstein’s case is Virginia Roberts Giuffre. She said she was coerced as a teenager into repeatedly having sex with the former prince as part of Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. Giuffre died by suicide in 2025. Andrew has denied Giuffre’s allegations.
The renewed appeal also reflects anxiety inside the investigation’s public narrative. British media reported on Friday that detectives are concerned the public may think the ongoing investigation is solely focused on the passing of confidential information—an issue tied to the U.S. files—when investigators believe misconduct in public office can include multiple behaviors.
“We hope that anyone with relevant information will come forward whenever they are ready to engage with us; our door is always open,” the statement said.
Taken together. the timing and wording form a clear message: the case is being treated as broader than one allegation. and police are trying to make sure potential witnesses understand that misconduct can take different forms—even when the headlines have followed the U.S. records. The question now is whether anyone will step forward about what they know. and whether the investigation’s different threads will lead to further identifiable accounts.
For Andrew, the legal posture remains unchanged: he continues to deny the allegations. For Thames Valley Police, the investigation continues—while the window for witness accounts is still open, and the complexity is being stressed publicly, not after the fact.
Prince Andrew Thames Valley Police misconduct in public office Oliver Wright Epstein Files Transparency Act Epstein Virginia Roberts Giuffre U.K. trade envoy Royal Lodge witness appeal