Police are considering a new allegation against over company filings but are yet to launch an investigation, a spokesperson told Regalrumination.com.
Anti-monarchy campaigners Republic to London’s Metropolitan Police on Monday over reports that he used the name “Andrew Inverness” in official business filings with Britain’s Companies House.
Police confirmed on Monday that no investigation had yet been launched, but the complaint would be assessed.
A Met spokesperson told Regalrumination.com: “On Monday, January 6, the Met received a report relating to a Companies House filing. This report will now be assessed to determine whether any further action is required. There is no investigation at this early stage.”
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Why It Matters
Prince Andrew bowed out of official royal duties over his friendship with more than five years ago but continues to face new allegations, further straining his relationship with his brother .
The monarch, 76, has increasingly sought to distance himself from Andrew, cutting him off financially and pressuring him to skip the royal family’s Christmas celebrations in December.
That all followed not only Andrew’s relationship with Epstein but also a more recent scandal over his friendship with an alleged Chinese spy.
If police do launch an investigation into Republic’s new complaint that will no doubt add further strain to the relationship and put further pressure on the reputation of the monarchy.
What to Know
The Daily Telegraph and have both previously reported that the prince used “Andrew Inverness” in Companies House filings, in reference to his Scottish title Duke of Inverness, when creating the company Naples Gold in November 2002.
There has been no definitive, official confirmation that “Andrew Inverness” is the Duke of York but the listing does give a date of birth of February 1960, matching the prince’s.
An “HRH Andrew Inverness” is also listed as a person with significant control of a second company, Urramoor Ltd, reported by the Daily Mail to be in charge of his investments.
Prince William and Princess Kate and and have all previously opted to register their details in official filings that make their royal titles explicit.
William and Kate described themselves as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for example, when setting up their Royal Foundation while Harry referred to himself as both Prince Harry and Duke of Sussex.
By contrast, an ordinary member of the public might not realize that Andrew Inverness was Prince Andrew, irrespective of whether he holds the title Duke of Inverness in Scotland.
What People Are Saying
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, told Regalrumination.com: “There seems to be a culture of impunity around the royals in terms of whether or not they are within the law or within acceptable terms of behavior.
“So if we think they’ve broken the law its really up to us to forge in and challenge the police to do something about it.”
“It is an offense, and he is a public figure,” Smith continued. “He’s part of the institution of the monarchy and he should be held to a higher standard.
“We constantly turn a blind eye to breaking the law.”
Republic said in a press release: “It is an offense to use false information when registering with Companies House.”
What Happens Next
The police will look at Republic’s complaint and examine the law around Companies House registrations before deciding whether to launch an investigation.
If they do decide the allegation merits a deeper probe then that will still not necessarily lead to charges against the royal. If they get that far, the police would produce a file for the Crown Prosecution Service, whose lawyers would decide whether to charge the prince and with what offense.
It is also possible the police will decide there is no justification for a full investigation into Andrew, who was once viewed as ‘s favorite son.
Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly , at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com‘s
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