A U.K. pizza restaurant chain has revealed findings of an internal inquiry into Prince Andrew's claim that he dined at a Pizza Express in Woking on March 10, 2001, the same date Virginia Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with him. The investigation, prompted by BBC Newsnight, involved reviewing records from the time and interviewing past employees and management. It uncovered no evidence of anyone seeing the then-prince at the restaurant, but also no evidence to definitively rule out his presence.
Background of the allegations
Giuffre, a victim of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claimed she was trafficked to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17. One alleged incident occurred on March 10, 2001, when Giuffre said she had dinner with Andrew, went to a nightclub, and later was forced to have sex with him at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell. In a 2019 Newsnight interview, Andrew denied the claim, stating he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking that afternoon and then returned home.
Internal inquiry details
Senior management at Pizza Express agreed to BBC Newsnight's investigation, deeming it in the public interest to test Andrew's alibi. The internal inquiry examined records from the time and spoke to past employees and management. The manager of the Woking location had left the business in 2001 and could not be interviewed. The broadcaster's probe ultimately found no evidence confirming or disproving Andrew's presence.
Police response and backlash
BBC Newsnight also submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police regarding whether royal protection officers accompanied Andrew to the restaurant 25 years ago. The force responded that it could "neither confirm nor deny" holding the information, citing national security. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticized the response, saying, "I really can't see how revealing that Andrew had police protection 25 years ago would play into the hands of terrorists as the Met claims." He called for an exception to be made.
Andrew's denials and legal outcome
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein scandal and Giuffre's accusations. Giuffre took her own life last year. Andrew paid a financial settlement to Giuffre in a civil lawsuit, but has not faced criminal charges. The Pizza Express inquiry adds to the ongoing scrutiny of his alibi, though it remains inconclusive.
