Pizza Express held inquiry into Andrew's Woking claim

New Delhi, India Jul 6, 2026 ALN: Pizza Express held an internal inquiry into whether Andrew Mountbatten Windsor had visited its restaurant in Woking, BBC night has learned.

The former prince claimed in his infamous 2019 night interview that he had been at the branch in Surrey on the day he was alleged to have slept with Virginia Giuffre, one of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's victims. This claim has since been a focal point in discussions surrounding both Mountbatten-Windsor's public image and the broader implications of the Epstein scandal.

BBC night has now discovered that the pizza chain investigated the claim and found no evidence that he had, or had not, been there. Our research has also found no record of anyone seeing him there on the night in 2001. The lack of evidence has raised questions about the reliability of recollections from that time, as well as the challenges involved in verifying events that occurred over two decades ago.

Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond to a request for comment but he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. His assertions of innocence come amid a complex backdrop of allegations and legal challenges that have plagued his reputation since the Epstein scandal came to light. The scrutiny surrounding his past actions has intensified since his connection to Epstein, who was convicted of sex trafficking minors, came to public attention.

Night has revisited the 2019 interview in light of the Epstein files, and Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office by Thames Valley Police. He was subsequently released under investigation, further complicating his legal situation and public standing. The investigation into his conduct has drawn significant media attention, particularly given the high-profile nature of the individuals involved.

Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor three times, including when she was aged 17. One of these alleged encounters was said to have taken place on 10 March 2001, when Giuffre claimed she had dined with him, danced with him at a nightclub, and gone on to have sex with him at the house of Ghislaine Maxwell, a friend of the then-prince, in Belgravia, central London. The details of these allegations have been widely reported and have played a significant role in shaping public perception of Mountbatten-Windsor.

In his night interview, Mountbatten-Windsor stated that he had instead taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to a party at a Pizza Express in Woking at "4pm or 5pm in the afternoon" on that day before spending the night at home. This assertion was meant to provide an alibi for the time in question and was intended to counter Giuffre's claims. The vast majority of the interview was broadcast, but a small amount of material was not included because of time constraints, which has led to speculation about what might have been omitted and how it could have affected the narrative.

This included Mountbatten-Windsor talking in more detail about Pizza Express, including a claim that his staff had looked at a diary to find out more information. "I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking," he said in the interview. "This has all been worked out by my staff, who've looked at the diary and everything else. The duchess [Sarah Ferguson] was away, I think, United States somewhere. And we had a very simple rule: at that stage, the children had one or other of us for all, most of the, well, as often as we could manage. So if one of us was out, the other one was in. And then occasionally they would have both of us and on this particular occasion, she was away and I was at home."

Mountbatten-Windsor's mention of Pizza Express in the interview made headlines worldwide in 2019, with some papers labelling it an "alibi". This framing of his statement has contributed to the ongoing discourse about the credibility of his claims and the nature of his relationships with individuals involved in the Epstein case.

Pizza Express searched for records of visit

Night has now been told that in 2019, the senior management team of Pizza Express looked into the plausibility of Mountbatten-Windsor's claim because they believed it was a matter of public interest. The inquiry was not merely a public relations exercise; it was an attempt to clarify the facts surrounding a highly sensitive issue that had implications for the brand's reputation.

Bosses held an internal inquiry that involved looking for records from that time period, none of which could be found, and trying to talk to past members of staff and local management. The manager of the Woking branch in 2001 had since left the business, making it difficult to obtain firsthand accounts from those who might have been present during the relevant time frame. The absence of records from two decades ago highlights the challenges of historical verification in cases involving public figures.

Following its internal inquiry, the chain concluded it had found no evidence to suggest Mountbatten-Windsor had visited and was telling the truth, and nothing to suggest he was not. This ambiguous conclusion has left many questions unanswered and has not definitively cleared Mountbatten-Windsor's name. The lack of evidence on both sides creates a complex situation where public opinion is shaped more by perceptions than by concrete facts.

Calls for Met transparency

One of the routes we tried was submitting a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police, asking if any royal protection officers accompanied the former prince to the Woking branch 25 years ago. This request reflects the ongoing interest in the details surrounding Mountbatten-Windsor's life and the implications of his royal status. The public's desire for transparency is often at odds with the operational protocols of law enforcement agencies, particularly when it comes to matters involving royal protection.

In response, the force said it could "neither confirm nor deny" whether it holds this information, citing "national security" among other reasons. This response has been met with skepticism, as many believe that the justification for withholding information may not be as robust as claimed. "Confirming or denying that information is held would reveal whether protection had been afforded to a specific individual other than the King and the prime minister," the Met said in reply to us, indicating the delicate balance they must maintain between public interest and security concerns.

This is despite Scotland Yard previously referring to Mountbatten-Windsor's close protection officers, including in a press statement issued in February. The Met's response has drawn criticism from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who stated, "Of course the police are rightly very careful about giving any information about who they give special protection to. I completely understand that and it's right. But too often we see these types of 'neither confirm nor deny' answers where there really isn't a legitimate security reason – and I think that's what's happening here."

He called for an "exception" to be made by the force to reveal the information, arguing that the public deserves clarity in such high-profile cases. "I really can't see how revealing that Andrew had police protection 25 years ago would play into the hands of terrorists as the Met claims," he added, reflecting a sentiment among some members of the public who feel that transparency is necessary for accountability.

Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 aged 41, an event that has cast a shadow over the ongoing legal and social discussions surrounding the Epstein case and its many implications. Her tragic death has led to renewed calls for justice and accountability in cases of sexual abuse and exploitation, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by survivors.

Mountbatten-Windsor's military titles and royal patronages were removed by the late Queen in 2022, and he was stripped of his "prince" title last year. These actions signify a significant shift in the royal family's approach to issues of accountability and public perception, as they navigate the complexities of modern monarchy. He also left his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, amid pressure on the Royal Family over his links to paedophile financier Epstein. This departure from his residence symbolizes the intense scrutiny and the fallout from his associations with Epstein, which have irrevocably altered his standing within the royal family and the public eye.

He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing, yet the allegations and investigations continue to loom over him. The interplay of public opinion, media scrutiny, and legal proceedings creates a challenging environment for Mountbatten-Windsor as he seeks to navigate the complexities of his situation.