Prince William plans 'ruthless approach' towards Prince Andrew - as reports of attempted smear campaign against accuser emerge

Prince William is planning to take a "ruthless approach" towards Prince Andrew when he is king, according to reports, as a US lawyer predicts the scandal engulfing the royal "is not going away" and more stories will "leak out".

The Sunday Times suggests William will ban his uncle from "all aspects of royal life" because of the ongoing risk to the Royal Family's reputation after a series of damaging revelations.

It comes amid reports that Andrew tried to get the Metropolitan Police to dig up dirt for a smear campaign against his sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre back in 2011.

The Met Police said it was "actively looking into the claims made".

Gloria Allred, who represents many of the victims of the late Jeffrey Epstein, believes Andrew will not be "let off the hook" over his links to the convicted paedophile.

"This is not going away. Even though he's no longer a duke, and Sarah Ferguson is no longer a duchess, it's not going away," the US lawyer told Sky News.

Andrew relinquished his Duke of York title and remaining honours on Friday evening, after a series of fresh stories linked to the late Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein. She died in April, aged 41, with her family saying she "lost her life to suicide".

Andrew will retain the dukedom, which can only be removed by an Act of Parliament, but will not use it.

Asked whether the government had plans to legislate to remove Andrew's titles, Energy Security Ed Miliband told Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme that they would be "guided by the palace" and the Royal Family.

"I think it's really important as a government minister that we allow the Royal Family to make its decisions on these questions," he added.

"Prince Andrew has given up these titles by agreement with His Majesty the King and I think that's, you know, that's obviously the position."

'It's not over'

Ms Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 - allegations he has always denied.

Her posthumous memoirs, which are released on Tuesday, claim Andrew insisted she sign a one-year gag order - to prevent details of her allegations tarnishing the late Queen's platinum jubilee.

And earlier this week, emails emerged showing that Andrew remained in contact with Epstein, several months after he said he had stopped contact.

The former duke paid to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre in 2022, despite insisting he had never met her.

Ms Allred said: "The fact that Virginia is now deceased - may she rest in peace - doesn't mean it's over for Prince Andrew. It's not over. More will come to leak out."

Reports of attempted smear campaign

It has now been reported that Andrew passed Ms Giuffre's date of birth and social security number to his taxpayer-funded bodyguard in 2011, asking him to investigate.

He is said to have emailed the late Queen's then-deputy press secretary and told him of his request to his protection officer, and also suggested Ms Giuffre had a criminal record, according to the Mail on Sunday.

A Met Police spokesperson told Sky News: "We are aware of media reporting and are looking into the claims made."

The prince's alleged attempt, on which the Met officer is not said to have acted, came in 2011, hours before the publication of the famous photograph of Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre in London, which he has claimed was doctored.

The Mail on Sunday said it obtained the email from disclosures held by the US congress.

"It would also seem she has a criminal record in the states," Andrew said to the former press secretary, according to one email published by the newspaper. "I have given her DoB and social security number for investigation with XXX the on duty PPO."

Ms Giuffre's family responded, the newspaper said, saying she did not have a criminal record.

The prince has been approached for comment.

Read more from Sky News:
How Prince Andrew allegations unfolded
Everything we know about titles decision
William and Camilla's influential roles

In her book, titled Nobody's Girl: A Memoir Of Surviving Abuse And Fighting For Justice, she wrote, according to The Telegraph: "As devastating as this interview was for Prince Andrew, for my legal team it was like an injection of jet fuel.

"Its contents would not only help us build an ironclad case against the prince but also open the door to potentially subpoenaing his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie."

Andrew, who remains a prince and continues to live in the Crown Estate property Royal Lodge, said on Friday that the "continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family".

He insisted he was putting his "family and country first" and would stop using "my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me".

Ms Allred told Sky News she felt Andrew's statement on Friday, describing the scandal as a "distraction", was an "insult" to Epstein's victims.

"What it's saying [the statement] is it's continued bad PR for the monarchy," she said.

"All right, I'm happy about this small consequence that he has to pay... no longer a duke, but look, he's living a privileged life while many victims are still suffering from the harm that was done by many people involved with Jeffrey Epstein."

Ms Giuffre's family has urged the King to go further and take away Andrew's prince title.

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