The police force covering the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has said it has “engaged with” lawyers for a woman claiming to have been trafficked for sex with the former prince, while also still pursuing an investigation for misconduct in public office.The news marks the first update by Thames Valley Police on its twin investigations since the force arrested Mountbatten-Windsor at his new home at Sandringham in Norfolk in February over the misconduct claims.The force had previously said it was “reviewing” claims by Florida-based lawyer Brad Edwards that one of his clients said she had been trafficked in 2010 to Royal Lodge, then Mountbatten-Windsor’s home in Windsor Great Park, for a sexual encounter when she was 20.The update, made public on Friday, said the review was continuing but made it clear they had not yet spoken to the alleged victim.The force said: “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 to anonymity.”Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any sexual wrongdoing.The former prince moved in early February from Royal Lodge to a cottage in the grounds of the royal family’s private Sandringham estate, where detectives arrested him later that month over the misconduct allegations.Oliver Wright, Thames Valley Police assistant chief constable, said the misconduct in public office investigation – separate from the review of the trafficking allegations – was “continuing”.The investigation relates to Mountbatten-Windsor’s period as a special representative for UK Trade and Investment between 2001 and 2011. He has never specifically commented on the allegations of misconduct in public office. But he has previously insisted his focus while trade representative was on serving the national good and there was no wrongdoing.Wright said: “Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation.”The assistant chief constable gave no timeline for the conclusion of the investigation.He added: “Our team of very experienced detectives are working meticulously through a significant amount of information that has come in from the public and other sources. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into all reasonable lines of inquiry.”Thames Valley Police’s assessment of the trafficking claims and its misconduct in public office investigation are among a series of inquiries by UK police forces resulting from the US justice department’s release of about three million files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.London’s Metropolitan Police in February arrested Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the US, on suspicion of misconduct in public office based on revelations from the files. Mandelson has denied any impropriety and his lawyers have insisted the arrest was unnecessary.The National Police Chiefs’ Council also continues to co-ordinate investigations into whether Epstein trafficked women through various UK airports.Surrey Police, a neighbouring force to Thames Valley, on Tuesday said it was investigating two separate allegations of “non-recent child sexual abuse” resulting from revelations in the Epstein files. It gave no indication of who the suspects in those cases might be. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026