Bosses at Pizza Express have reportedly initiated an internal investigation into the alleged visit of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the restaurant. According to recent reports from BBC Newsnight, senior management at the chain launched the inquiry to verify an alibi provided by the former Duke of York during his controversial 2019 interview with Emily Maitlis. The investigation, which involved former employees, did not yield conclusive evidence regarding his presence at the restaurant.
During the interview, Andrew claimed to have dined at a Pizza Express outlet in Woking, Surrey, with his daughter Princess Beatrice on March 10, 2001, the same day he is accused of engaging in a sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre. However, Giuffre, who passed away last year, alleged that she socialized with Andrew at Tramp nightclub in London before returning to Ghislaine Maxwell’s residence, where the incident allegedly occurred. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In response to the claims, Pizza Express has been contacted for comment by The Mirror. Furthermore, BBC Newsnight revealed that they had submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police to ascertain whether royal protection officers accompanied Andrew to the Woking branch 25 years ago. The police declined to confirm or deny the information’s existence, citing national security concerns.
On his 66th birthday, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and questioned before being released under investigation. Searches were conducted at his former residences in Windsor and Norfolk, and detectives are currently examining the evidence obtained during the operation. Additionally, a formal request has been made to the US Department of Justice for the original Epstein files, although no information has been received thus far.