Pizza Express launched an internal investigation into Prince Andrew's assertion that he visited its Woking restaurant in 2001, BBC Newsnight has revealed. The former prince made the claim during a 2019 interview about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

The inquiry was initiated because senior management at the pizza chain considered the claim to be a matter of public interest. The investigation sought to find evidence of Prince Andrew's presence at the Woking branch on the date in question, but ultimately found no records to confirm or deny his visit.

During the 2019 Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew stated he had taken his daughter, Princess Beatrice, to a Pizza Express in Woking around 4 or 5 p.m. on March 10, 2001. He presented this as part of his alibi for the day Virginia Giuffre alleges she was sexually abused by him.

Pizza Express's internal review involved searching for records from that period and attempting to contact former staff and local management. However, these efforts did not yield any conclusive evidence regarding the visit. No records of anyone seeing Prince Andrew at the restaurant on that specific night have been found.

Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In the 2019 interview, he detailed how his staff had checked his diary to corroborate his movements on the day in question. He explained that he was with his daughter, as his wife was traveling abroad, and they had a family rule about ensuring one parent was always with the children.

The mention of Pizza Express in Woking quickly became a focal point of the interview, with some media outlets framing it as a key part of his defence. The interview, conducted by Emily Maitlis, was Prince Andrew's first public discussion of his connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Virginia Giuffre alleges that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her on three occasions, including when she was 17. One alleged encounter occurred on March 10, 2001, after which she claims they went to Ghislaine Maxwell's home in Belgravia. Prince Andrew's account placed him at the Pizza Express in Woking during the afternoon of that day before he reportedly spent the night at home.

Newsnight's revisiting of the interview comes amid renewed scrutiny following the release of Epstein's associated legal files. Prince Andrew was later arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office by Thames Valley Police, though he was subsequently released under investigation. The Woking branch manager in 2001 had since left the company, complicating the investigation for Pizza Express.