In the gilded shadows of royal protection, where taxpayer dollars shielded a disgraced prince from his past, leaked emails from 2011 reveal Prince Andrew’s desperate bid to bury Virginia Giuffre—handing his Metropolitan Police bodyguard her date of birth and confidential U.S. Social Security number with a chilling directive: dig up dirt, fast.T

Leaked emails from 2011, revealed in October 2025 by the Mail on Sunday, suggest that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—then still holding royal titles—directed his taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Police bodyguard to investigate Virginia Giuffre, his accuser in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The messages, sent to a senior palace aide, indicate Andrew provided the officer with Giuffre’s date of birth and confidential U.S. Social Security number, asking for checks into her background amid speculation she had a criminal record. This occurred hours before the infamous 2011 photograph of Andrew with the 17-year-old Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell was published, sparking the public phase of the controversy.

Giuffre, who tragically died by suicide in April 2025, had alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, claims he has always vehemently denied. The former prince settled a 2022 civil lawsuit with her for an undisclosed sum without admitting liability. However, these revelations paint a picture of proactive efforts to discredit her credibility early in the saga, using official resources in what critics called an attempted smear campaign.

The Metropolitan Police initially assessed the claims for potential misuse of police powers but announced in December 2025 that no further action would be taken, citing insufficient evidence of criminality. Giuffre’s family expressed deep disappointment, arguing it failed to deliver justice. The allegations resurfaced amid the posthumous publication of Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl, which detailed her experiences and accused Andrew’s team of further tactics, including planting negative stories and hiring online harassers.

Though Andrew lost his “Prince” title and HRH style via royal decree in late 2025, and faces eviction from Royal Lodge, these enduring questions about his conduct highlight ongoing damage to the monarchy’s reputation. Victims’ advocates continue to demand full accountability, underscoring how power can allegedly be wielded to silence accusers in one of the world’s most high-profile scandals.