Met closes probe into royal bodyguard's Giuffre 'smear'

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face a criminal investigation over claims he asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to investigate his accuser Virginia Giuffre, police have revealed.

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

Reports claimed the disgraced royal passed Giuffre's date of birth and social security number to his Metropolitan Police protection officer and asked them to dig up dirt on her in 2011.

The Met said it was looking into the reports, which emerged in a series of leaked emails allegedly seen by the Mail on Sunday.

Andrew reportedly wrote in an email to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth's deputy press secretary: "It would also seem she has a criminal record in the [United] States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with [name redacted], the on duty ppo [personal protection officer]." Giuffre, who does not have a criminal record and took her own life in April this year, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, including once in London, after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. The prince has always vehemently denied the claims.