Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Faces Fresh Police Investigation at Royal Ascot

The hits just keep coming for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Less than four months after King Charles stripped him of his royal titles and booted him from the Royal Lodge, Thames Valley Police detectives are now investigating an alleged encounter from 2002 at Royal Ascot—the storied horse racing festival that’s been a fixture of British aristocratic tradition for centuries.

According to reporting from The Sunday Times, the investigation centers on an incident that occurred during the 2002 Royal Ascot event, where Andrew’s mother Queen Elizabeth, his older brother the future King Charles, his younger brother Prince Edward, and his older daughter Princess Beatrice were all in attendance. But the scope of the police examination is considerably broader. Detectives are reportedly“examining events in 2002 as they consider wider possible crimes by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, including sexual misconduct, corruption and fraud.”It’s unclear exactly when these allegations first came to law enforcement’s attention, but this marks the first public confirmation that a formal investigation is underway.

This investigation arrives on the heels of a turbulent year for the former prince. In February, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of sending confidential British trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein back in 2010. That arrest came after the release of the Epstein Files—a voluminous cache of documents that featured his name and photographs prominently, including several images that showed Andrew in deeply compromising positions. Following that explosive public disclosure, King Charles took swift action, stripping Andrew of his royal titles and evicting him from his Windsor residence.

The Royal Ascot investigation suggests the legal troubles are far from over. Whether these allegations have merit, and how they might ultimately be resolved, remains to be seen. But for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the walls continue to close in.