Former minister calls for special committee to investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Epstein links

Ex-Duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne despite ongoing Epstein scandal

Ex-security minister and MP Tom Tugendhat has said Parliament should investigate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.

MPs, peers and retired judges should assess evidence, summon witnesses and review documents in order to explore Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to child sex offender Epstein, Mr Tugendhat told The Sun.

“This goes beyond what a court could reasonably consider,” he said. “Parliament must consider what it means for the country. If the worst is proved, do we need to revisit treason laws written 700 years ago?”

The last person to be convicted of treason was Jaswant Singh Chail in 2021 over a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth for which he was sentenced to nine years in prison.

It comes as calls are growing for Mountbatten-Windsor to be cut from a claim to the throne due to his association with the disgraced financier.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown wrote to six police forces calling for investigations into whether Andrew used jets, funded by the taxpayer, and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet up with the convicted sex offender, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

And a former head of Scotland Yard's Royal Protection Command, Dai Davies, told the Mirror a judge-led independent inquiry is needed to investigate Andrew's past dealings with Epstein.

Andrew is still eighth in line to the throne

The former prince was arrested on his birthday on Thursday and held for 11 hours for questioning. Police searches on his property continued on Saturday and are set to go on into Monday.

A YouGov poll revealed that 82 per cent of Britons believe he should be removed from the line of succession and several politicians including Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davy.

Prime minister Keir Starmer is reportedly reviewing plans for an Act of Parliament to be passed to enable the removal.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his links with Epstein, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.

Andrew was stripped of his titles over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) (PA Archive)

Officers are looking into claims that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey told PA it would be “intolerable” for Andrew to succeed to the throne and that the scenario is “not as remote as some people think”.

Any changes to the line of succession would require the agreement of other countries which share the UK monarch, including Australia, Canada and Jamaica.

Mandelson was seen leaving his home on Saturday (PA Wire)

An influential group of MPs is also set to meet to discuss the launch of a parliamentary probe into the role of the UK’s trade envoys.

Lord Peter Mandelson has also had two properties searched by police over allegations of misconduct in public office and was seen leaving his north London home on Saturday.

Police investigating Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have urged his former bodyguards to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard” is relevant to their inquiries.

The Metropolitan Police said they were working with counterparts in the US to establish whether London airports had been used to “facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation”.

After his younger brother's arrest, the King said in a statement that "the law must take its course" and the police have "our full and wholehearted support and co-operation".

Thames Valley Police, who are leading the investigation, are yet to receive any "early investigative advice" from the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to the allegation, it is understood.

The Metropolitan Police said they were working with counterparts in the US to establish whether London airports had been used to "facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation".

On Friday, the force said no new reports of alleged sexual offences have been made since the release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein by the US Department of Justice.

Scotland Yard previously said they were looking into allegations Andrew's protection officers turned a "blind eye" to his visits to Epstein's island, Little St James.

Police are yet to identify any wrongdoing by close protection officers.

Andrew's primary accuser, Virginia Giuffre, alleged she had sex with him during an orgy with "underage" girls on the Caribbean island.

The former prince has previously vehemently denied all allegations made against him.

Andrew had stepped down from public duties in 2019 after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with Epstein.

This meant he had already ceased to be an active counsellor of state, who can deputise for the monarch if he is overseas on an official trip or ill.

But as counsellors of state are drawn from the line of succession, removing him from it would officially resolve any question over Andrew taking such a role.