Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied claims of sexual assault, stemming from his friendship with convicted sex offender and underage sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Now, he faces a civil lawsuit in New York by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who claims Andrew sexually assaulted her three times. There are conflicting accounts of how much assistance Andrew has given to the investigation. In January 2020, then-New York attorney general Geoffrey Berman said the prince had given 'zero cooperation'. The same month, the Metropolitan Police were criticised for rejecting freedom of information requests that could help establish Andrew's whereabouts on the night that Giuffre accused him of assault.

Rather than giving formal evidence, Andrew was interviewed by BBC's Newsnight in November 2019. The sit-down was staged within Buckingham Palace ' very much within the royal fold. Despite the intention to 'prove' his innocence, his assertions became increasingly far-fetched, including a spurious Pizza Express alibi and a medical condition that prevents perspiration, to undermine the allegation that he was 'dripping with sweat' after dancing. The interview was met with widespread derision, and he eventually resigned from public duties for the 'foreseeable future'. In July 2020, although he attended, he was not visible in photographs of his daughter Princess Beatrice's wedding. This suggests deliberate impression management to remove the problematic individual from official royal representations.