Buckingham Palace is once again under a harsh spotlight as British police dive into allegations that Prince Andrew sought to tarnish the reputation of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

The story, steeped in controversy, centers on claims that Andrew, now 65, attempted to dig up dirt on Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault when she was just 17, while also navigating the fallout from his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein and recently relinquishing his royal title, as Breitbart reports.

Let’s rewind to 2011, when, according to a report by the Mail on Sunday, Andrew allegedly handed over Giuffre’s personal details, including her date of birth and Social Security number, to his state-funded protection unit with a request to unearth damaging information.

Allegations of smear campaign emerge

Reports suggest this move came just before a now-infamous photograph surfaced, showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist in London -- a snapshot that fueled her accusations.

Thankfully, the officer tasked with this unsavory request reportedly refused to act on it, sparing the royal family even deeper embarrassment at the time.

Yet, the Mail on Sunday also claims Andrew emailed the late Queen Elizabeth II’s then-deputy press secretary about this request, a detail allegedly pulled from documents held by a U.S. congressional committee.

Royal ties to Epstein resurface

Giuffre’s allegations are grave -- she claimed Epstein trafficked her for sex, and that she was forced into encounters with Andrew on three separate occasions, including while underage.

Andrew has steadfastly denied these claims, but the shadow of Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for trafficking underage girls, continues to loom large over the prince’s reputation.

The legal battle with Giuffre never reached a courtroom; instead, Andrew opted for a multimillion-dollar settlement, a move that hardly silenced the critics or restored his standing.

Police investigation adds new complexity

Fast forward to recent days, and the heat is back on as British police confirmed they’re looking into these smear campaign allegations with a statement that hardly inspires confidence in royal decorum.

“We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made,” a spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police told AFP, signaling that this saga is far from over.

That’s a polite way of saying they’ve got a mess on their hands, and in a world obsessed with progressive narratives, one wonders if the police are more motivated by public pressure than principle -- though the allegations certainly warrant scrutiny.

Title renunciation, family fallout

Amid this storm, Andrew relinquished his royal title at the behest of King Charles III, following fresh revelations about his Epstein connections, alongside abandoning his membership in the prestigious Order of the Garter.

Adding to the drama, Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, has publicly urged Charles to strip Andrew of his princely title entirely, stating on ITV News, “I think there’s more that he could do.”

Roberts’ call might resonate with those tired of royal privilege, but let’s be honest -- stripping titles won’t erase the deeper stain on the monarchy’s image, especially as Giuffre’s posthumous memoirs, set to publish soon after her tragic suicide in April, promise to keep this wound open.