OK! Spells Out the Questions Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Still Needs to Answer Over His Jeffrey Epstein Friendship

After years of scandal and silence, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's royal reputation has finally collapsed, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions about his long and troubling friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The 65-year-old prince recently relinquished his Duke of York title and remaining royal honors following a tense discussion with King Charles III and Prince William.

The decision, intended to draw a line under years of controversy, came just days before the release of Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir, which promises new revelations about her alleged encounters with Andrew and the late financier.

Andrew has repeatedly denied all accusations of sexual assault or wrongdoing.

A palace insider said: "Following detailed talks with his family, especially Prince William, the King called Andrew to make it clear he had to act responsibly. He was told it was unthinkable for him to carry on enjoying the benefits of his royal status.

The King is said to have become "weary and furious" with the constant scandal overshadowing the monarchy, according to palace insiders.

In her memoir, Giuffre, who died by suicide in April aged 41, claimed she suffered a miscarriage days after participating in what she described as an "o---" involving Andrew and eight other girls on Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St. James — known among Epstein's circle as "Little Saint Jeff's."

She said she was "not in great shape" afterward and woke up "in a pool of blood."

Andrew has strongly denied the allegations and there is no evidence suggesting he was the father of the unborn child.

Now the Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is "actively looking into" claims that Andrew used his taxpayer-funded royal bodyguard to obtain Giuffre's personal information, including her date of birth and U.S. social security number.

If substantiated, it would mark the first police investigation into a member of the royal family in more than two decades.

According to reports, Andrew allegedly asked a member of the Met's elite SO14 Royalty Protection Group to find damaging information about Giuffre. An email shows Andrew telling a palace aide, Ed Perkins, that he had "given her date of birth and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on-duty PPO (personal protection officer)."

It is not believed the officer complied with the request, and Giuffre's family insists she had no criminal record.

Dai Davies, former head of Scotland Yard's Royal Protection Command, said: "Based on the evidence of the email, there is, in my opinion, sufficient evidence for the Met Police or any other force to investigate. Who said what to whom, how did Andrew get her social number in America, how did he get her date of birth, did Epstein or Maxwell or anyone else obtain those for him? There's a lot of questions to be asked."

Another huge question Andrew is being called to answer over the Epstein scandal is how the royal claimed in a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview he cut off contact with the pedophile after they were photographed together in New York in 2010 – yet leaked emails from early 2011 appear to tell a different story.

One message between the pair read: "Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!" and ended, "A, HRH The Duke of York, KG."

Financial questions also linger. Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, 66, reportedly borrowed as much as $100,000 from Epstein to cover "small bills," and emails suggest she celebrated his release from prison in 2009. Both Ferguson and Andrew have faced calls to explain the source of the $15 million settlement reportedly paid to Giuffre in 2022 after she filed a civil suit in New York.

While Andrew accepted no liability, royal sources have long speculated that the late Queen contributed to the deal through private funds.

With police inquiries underway and a tell-all memoir reigniting public scrutiny, Andrew faces huge renewed pressure to answer the questions that have dogged him for years.