The Metropolitan Police is “actively” looking into claims that Prince Andrew tried to get information on his accuser.
The prince, who this week relinquished his royal titles, is alleged to have asked his taxpayer-funded Met bodyguard for personal information about Virginia Giuffre.
A spokesperson for the force said: "We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made.”
Just this week, Ms Giuffre’s brother called on King Charles III to also remove Andrew’s “prince” title.
Prince Andrew has not made comment on the reports, but continues to deny all allegations against him.
Ms Giuffre was amongst the girls sexually exploited by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his inner circle. She claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including once at the age of 17 at the home of his friend Ghislaine Maxwell in London in 2001. Andrew denies this.
Ms Giuffre took her own life earlier this year.
Maxwell is currently in prison, serving a 20-year sentence on sex-trafficking charges related to her former boyfriend, Epstein.
The Mail on Sunday reports that Andrew asked his bodyguard to investigate Ms Giuffre before the newspaper published a photo of them in February 2011.
According to the paper, the police protection officer gave him her date of birth and social security number. The Sunday Telegraph also alleged that Andrew “sought to dig up dirt” on Ms Giuffre.
On Friday, it was announced that Andrew was voluntarily stripping himself of his titles and giving up membership of the Order of the Garter - the most revered order of chivalry in Britain.
As a result, Andrew will cease to be the Duke of York, a title bestowed upon him by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The prince has already stepped down from royal duties, losing with them the HRH title and is no longer present at official royal events. His role will now be even more restricted.
In recent years, Andrew has faced multiple scandals, including making settling out-of-court with Ms Giuffre in 2022, after she pressed charges against him in a civil case.
A posthumous memoir about Ms Giuffre is set to be published next week and is expected to garner further attention on her involvement with both the prince and Epstein.
In a notorious BBC Newsnight interview in 2019, Prince Andrew said he had severed all ties to Epstein after being photographed together in New York in December in 2010.
However, emails leaked in 2011 showed him privately keeping in touch with the disgraced financier, saying “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!”
