Former prince Andrew under investigation for sexual misconduct as UK police call for Epstein witnesses

The UK police have made an extraordinary appeal for witnesses in sexual misconduct claims against former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

In a move which will further damage the royal family, UK Police released a statement saying they were assessing reports that a woman was taken to Windsor in 2010 for “sexual purposes”.

It comes after Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office in relation to his role as a UK trade envoy.

It is believed the statement relates to reports that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein allegedly trafficked a woman into the UK specifically to have sex with the former prince.

“We have engaged with the woman’s legal representative to confirm that, should she wish to report this to police, it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and her right for anonymity,” the Thames Valley Police statement said.

“We recognise how difficult it can be to speak about experiences of this nature, and any contact with police will be led by her wishes, when and if she feels ready and able to do so.”

The police were “actively supporting national policing in contacting Epstein victims and survivors. We hope that anyone with relevant information will come forward whenever they are ready”.

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in the statement: “Our misconduct in public office investigation is continuing. Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation.”

He said his team is “working meticulously through a significant amount of information that has come in from the public and other sources.”

“We encourage anyone with information to get in touch with us.”

The news comes as it was revealed that the late Queen Elizabeth II pushed for her youngest son’s appointment to the role of trade envoy.

New documents were made public after UK opposition MPs asked the government to release all papers related to the creation of the role of Special Representative for Trade and Investment and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s controversial appointment to the position.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed as trade envoy in 2001 and stepped down a decade later over his ties to the convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter published on Thursday, Trade Minister Chris Bryant said: “We have found no evidence that a formal due diligence or vetting process was undertaken. There is also no evidence that this was considered.”

Mr Bryant said this process was “understandable” since Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment was a “continuation” of the royal family’s involvement in promoting Britain’s trade and investment.

The files also showed the late Queen was “very keen” for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to be named Britain’s trade envoy.

“The Queen is very keen that the Duke of York should take on a prominent role in the promotion of national interests,” the head of Britain’s trade body wrote to two senior cabinet ministers on February 25, 2000.

The release reinforces beliefs that late monarch had a soft spot for her second son, which may have influenced her lack of decisiveness in dealing with allegations about his links to Epstein.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor served as Britain’s special envoy for international trade from 2001 to 2011 and was was stripped of his royal titles late last year as the US Justice Department prepared to release millions of pages off the Epstein files.

— with AAP