Did Charles know of Andrew's bid to 'dig the dirt'?

THE furore over Prince Andrew threatens to engulf the wider Royal Family amid questions about who was aware of claims he tried to discredit Virginia Giuffre.

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Met detectives are “actively” looking into allegations that he passed on private information about her to his protection officer in a bid to “dig the dirt” on the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking victim who accused him of having sex with her when she was 17.

According to emails released by US Congress, Andrew told a Palace press officer he had given her social security number to the aide. It is not known whether any inquiries were made.

But royal expert and former Lib Dem minister Norman Baker said it was “incredible” that Buckingham Palace did not carry out full background checks on the Prince's relationship with the paedophile financier when the crisis emerged in 2010.

He added: “If Andrew did pass on Ms Giuffre’s social security number and date of birth to his police protection, and ask the officer to dig dirt on her, that is to commit a data protection offence and to attempt to corrupt a police officer.

"It is also disgusting behaviour to try to damage a vulnerable young woman already traumatised by being used as a sex slave for Jeffrey Epstein and some of his unsavoury friends.