Pizza Express carried out an internal review into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor had visited its Woking restaurant, following claims he made during his widely publicised 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, the programme has revealed.
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Pizza Express Review Revisited
According to Newsnight, the restaurant chain investigated the claim after it attracted global attention but found no evidence confirming or disproving that he had been at the Surrey branch. The programme also said it found no record of customers or staff recalling his presence at the restaurant in March 2001.
Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The Woking Claim
In his 2019 Newsnight interview, Mountbatten-Windsor said he had taken his daughter, Princess Beatrice, to a children's party at Pizza Express in Woking on 10 March 2001. He said the visit took place in the late afternoon before he returned home for the evening.
He made the claim while rejecting allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, who said she had been forced to have sex with him that day after dining with him, visiting a London nightclub and going to the Belgravia home of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre alleged the encounter occurred when she was 17. Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied her allegations.
Newsnight also disclosed previously unaired footage from the 2019 interview in which Mountbatten-Windsor said his staff had checked his diary and other records to establish his whereabouts on the day in question. He also said Sarah Ferguson was in the United States at the time and that he was caring for Princess Beatrice while her mother was away.
Company Investigation
Following the interview, Pizza Express management examined whether any records from 2001 could verify the visit. The company searched for historical documents and attempted to contact former staff and managers connected with the Woking branch.
The restaurant's manager from 2001 had already left the company and could not be interviewed, according to Newsnight.
After completing its review, Pizza Express concluded it had found nothing to confirm that Mountbatten-Windsor had visited the restaurant, but also nothing to indicate that he had not.
Newsnight said its own reporting likewise uncovered no evidence from customers or employees placing him at the restaurant on the evening in question.
Police Response Questioned
As part of its investigation, Newsnight submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police asking whether royal protection officers had accompanied Mountbatten-Windsor to Woking on the day in question.
The Met refused to confirm or deny whether it held such information, citing national security and other exemptions. The force said acknowledging whether records existed could reveal details about protection arrangements for individuals other than the King and the prime minister.
The response was criticised by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who questioned whether withholding information about protection arrangements from 25 years ago served a legitimate security purpose. He called on the Metropolitan Police to make an exception and disclose the information.
Virginia Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41.
Mountbatten-Windsor lost his military titles and royal patronages in 2022. He was stripped of the title "prince" last year and has faced continuing scrutiny over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 6 July 2026