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An internal investigation was conducted by Pizza Express to determine whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had visited its Woking branch, according to BBC Newsnight. The inquiry was prompted by claims made by the former prince during a widely reported 2019 interview on Newsnight, in which he stated he had been at the restaurant in Surrey on the same day he was accused of having sexual contact with Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.
Despite the investigation, the pizza company found no conclusive evidence to confirm or deny Mountbatten-Windsor’s presence at the restaurant on that date. Additionally, independent research uncovered no witnesses who recalled seeing him there on the night of 10 March 2001. Mountbatten-Windsor has not responded to requests for comments but has repeatedly denied any allegations of misconduct.
The resurfacing of the 2019 interview comes following the release of the Epstein files and Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest in February by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. After being taken into custody, he was later released while the investigation continues. Giuffre accused him of forcing her into sexual acts on three separate occasions, including when she was 17 years old. One of these occasions was said to have occurred on 10 March 2001, when she alleged that they had dined together, shared a dance at a nightclub, and then had sex at Ghislaine Maxwell’s residence in central London.
During the original interview, Mountbatten-Windsor claimed that on that day he had taken his daughter Princess Beatrice to a party at the Woking Pizza Express around 4 or 5 pm, and then spent the remainder of the evening at home. He explained that his team had reviewed diaries and verified arrangements to confirm this timeline. He described how, at the time, the children typically spent time with one parent if the other was away. The duchess Sarah Ferguson, he mentioned, was abroad in the United States, so he was looking after the children alone. His reference to this visit to Pizza Express gained global attention, with some outlets dubbing it an “alibi.”
Efforts to verify this claim through official channels have been complicated. A Freedom of Information request was submitted to the Metropolitan Police to find out if any royal protection officers had accompanied Mountbatten-Windsor to the Woking restaurant 25 years ago. However, the Met responded that it could “neither confirm nor deny” such information due to national security concerns. They explained that acknowledging details of protection given to individuals other than the King or Prime Minister could compromise security protocols. This stance has faced criticism, notably from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who argued that no legitimate security risk would arise from disclosing whether Mountbatten-Windsor had police protection at that time and called for an exception to be made.
Tragically, Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41. In response to mounting controversy, Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages by the late Queen in 2022, and in the following year, he lost his “prince” title. He also vacated Royal Lodge, his Windsor residence, amid increasing scrutiny surrounding the Royal Family’s association with Jeffrey Epstein. Throughout these developments, Mountbatten-Windsor has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing
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