Prince Andrew reported to police over name used on business forms

By Victoria Ward.

The Duke of York has been reported to police after using the name "Inverness" to register a company.

Republic, an anti-monarchy campaign group, accused the Duke of filing false information.

In 2019, The Telegraph revealed that Prince Andrew had secretly set up a private investment fund under the name "Andrew Inverness" to channel deals brokered at Buckingham Palace.

READ MORE: Queen Mary sparkles in white and gold at royal reception

The Duke was the owner of four linked companies registered at Companies House under the name, and was described on official documents as a "consultant".

On Monday, Graham Smith, the Republic chief executive, filed a complaint to the Metropolitan Police about the registration of Naples Gold Ltd, one of those companies. He alleged that the name used by the Duke, "Andrew Inverness", was false, and that he had erroneously listed a London address as his residential address.

Mr Smith said: "The royals appear to believe they can act with impunity, an impression given weight by the lack of police action on serious allegations of corruption and sexual offences.

"The apparent filing of false information with Companies House may seem trivial, but the UK faces serious issues of fraud committed in this way. While no such fraud is alleged here, surely Andrew must be held to the highest standards."

The Duke was given the title Earl of Inverness by Elizabeth II when he married Sarah Ferguson in 1986. But in choosing to register businesses under the name "Andrew Inverness", he prompted concerns that he was attempting to avoid scrutiny.

The first of his group of companies, called Urramoor Ltd, was set up in February 2013, 18 months after the Duke was stripped of his UK trade envoy role over his continued association with Jeffrey Epstein, the late US financier who had been convicted of child sex offences.

There is almost no detail in the public domain about Urramoor, and it does not have a website. But a US-South African investment firm that had a tie-up with the company described it as "the private investment office of HRH Duke of York".

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

In a separate development, an application was made last week to strike Urramoor Ltd off the register. The application was made days after the company's latest accounts were published, revealing that it was finally solvent after securing almost £210,000 ($420,000) in funding from an anonymous source the previous year.

The Duke, as "HRH Andrew Inverness", maintains significant control of the company.

Two further Urramoor companies, Urramoor Property Ltd and Urramoor Hydrocarbons, which was jointly run with a Turkish tycoon who made his money developing golf courses, have already been dissolved.

View gallery

All the defining photos of the British royal family in 2025

Mr Smith said that as such "there must surely be a public interest in pursuing the matter when it's such a high-profile figure allegedly doing it".

He added: "We expect the police to pursue this matter without fear or favour – something they seem to struggle with when it comes to the royals."

A Met spokesman said: "On Monday, Jan 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."

A representative of the Duke has been contacted for comment.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2024