Pizza Express's internal inquiry into whether Andrew Mountbatten Windsor visited its Woking restaurant on 10 March 2001 has raised fresh questions about the Duke of York's credibility. The investigation, conducted in 2019, was sparked by his claim to have taken Princess Beatrice to a party at the Surrey branch around 4pm or 5pm that day, as part of an attempt to counter Virginia Giuffre's allegations against him.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but the lack of concrete evidence to support his alibi has left many wondering about its validity. The Pizza Express investigation involved a thorough search for records and attempts to contact former staff members and local management, yet the manager in question had already left the company by 2019.
Despite these efforts, no conclusive evidence was found to either substantiate or disprove Andrew's claim of being present at the restaurant. BBC Newsnight's own extensive inquiries, which included scouring customer and staff records, also yielded nothing to confirm his presence. Furthermore, a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Metropolitan Police regarding royal protection officers' involvement remained unanswered due to national security concerns.
The renewed focus on Andrew's 2019 interview comes in the wake of recent developments surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and the Duke's arrest in February by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The 'Pizza Express alibi' has been a contentious aspect of his interview, sparking global media attention at the time.