The Mirror’s Julia Banim visited the Woking branch of Pizza Express, best known as the alibi of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. And while the birthday parties are indeed continuing, it’s unlikely the former prince will be welcomed back for a slice anytime soon
The whole nation watched in awe as the King’s brother was arrested last week, but one humble British town was rocked by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s fall from grace long before he was hurled into custody.
From the outside, this chain restaurant on an ordinary street looks like any other branch of Pizza Express. But this is The Pizza Express. The one that launched a thousand memes after unexpectedly providing an alibi for the former prince.
I am, of course, at Pizza Express Woking, the infamous venue of a birthday party allegedly attended by Princess Beatrice on March 10, 2001. Andrew says he took his eldest daughter to the bash, the same day Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffe claimed she first met and had sex with the then-duke.
The late whistleblower alleged they danced together at London’s Tramp nightclub before having sex at Ghislaine Maxwell’s mews house, but Andrew insists he was at the pizza parlour with his daughter. He has vehemently and consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with paedophile Epstein.
Andrew, 66, notoriously brought up this humdrum location during his 2019 ‘car crash’ interview with Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, who pressed him on how he could remember such a mundane event from so long ago. With a slight smug smile, Andrew, then known as Prince Andrew, replied, “Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing to do.” One source claims Beatrice has “absolutely no recall whatsoever” of that specific birthday party in northwest Surrey, or of her dad picking her up.
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This turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of the ex-prince’s toe-curling interview, which continues to linger in the public consciousness. Behind the scenes, it’s been reported that Beatrice was ‘blindsided’ by Andrew’s decision to use her as an alibi, with reports that the furious princess had a heated discussion with him after the interview.
Now, following Andrew’s recent arrest and release, on suspicion of the unrelated offence of misconduct in public office, so-called diners have flooded the branch’s Google reviews page with jokey reflections of their visit. Referencing Andrew’s recent brush with the law, one reviewer deadpans, “Not really a review, but was just wondering, do you deliver to prison? Asking for a friend who loves your establishment. Thanks.”
With a note to Andrew’s apparent medical condition, which allegedly prevents him from sweating, another quipped, “I’ve never been, but my friend Andrew absolutely loves this establishment. Profuse sweating is an issue for him, but thanks to your world-class air conditioning, he didn’t sweat at all.”
As the former prince grapples with the ongoing police probe, I went for dinner at the infamous branch to see how staff are faring – and if locals ever believed the royal who claimed he couldn’t sweat…
For me, a visit to Pizza Express is nothing unusual. But a visit to the Woking branch most certainly is. It’s shortly after 6 pm on a slightly blustery Sunday evening that I arrive at the venue, and the air rings with clinking cutlery and upbeat pop music. The place is bustling, and it’s clear the restaurant’s reputation hasn’t suffered for being so closely tied to the most shocking royal scandal in living memory.
I’m left wondering whether this odd connection has actually been good for business. After all, is there a better-known branch anywhere on the British Isles? They do say any publicity is good publicity, and for local woman Karen Weir, the spotlight that the drama has shone on the town has been a welcome one. Karen told the Mirror: “I’ve lived in Woking a long time and it’s good to see Woking mentioned! But it doesn’t really bother me. I don’t see it as a negative.”
Not all locals are all too sure, however. After spending a few hours in the town centre, I become used to the familiar eye roll at the very mention of Andrew’s name, and the frustration that attention isn’t being paid to more pressing matters, such as rows of forlorn shuttered shops not far from that distinctive blue welcome to Woking sign.
For others in the area, the very notion that the Queen’s son was at Pizza Express on the night in question is nothing short of ridiculous. Pouring scorn on this narrative, Barbara was even more blunt, telling the Mirror: “I’m not embarrassed by it because I don’t believe it. I just don’t know why he’d do that, it’s ridiculous, because if he’d have been in there, Woking’s the sort of place where everyone knows what everyone’s doing. If he’d been in there, it would have been swamped. And people would have known about it straight away. There’s no way. There’s no way that man was in there that night. Absolutely no way.”
Over at Pizza Express, staff are busy but friendly, and quickly clean me up a cosy corner table. Admittedly, I do feel a little conspicuous. I’m the only solo diner amid a sea of family tables, many with young children. But if staff have been briefed on how to deal with curious members of the public, then there’s no sign of it as they politely take my order. The very picture of serene professionalism, despite the gossipy questions they’ve surely had to deal with from friends and family.
Perhaps, like other locals, they’ve learned to deal with the spot’s notoriety with a typically British dry sense of humour. I catch one woman’s eye as we’re taking photographs outside, and we immediately share a knowing smirk. Those in the area are no strangers to reporters milling around this very average-looking street. Finding humour in the ridiculousness of the saga, Craig, who is originally from Zimbabwe, told us: “Everyone around just thinks it’s a bit of a joke. They’re just keeping with the banter and making lighthearted jokes about it.”
Another local woman, Emma, sums up the mixed bag of feelings in the area well, telling us: “I think it’s a lie for one thing. It’s kind of a funny association, because why pick here? I don’t think it’s tarnished the town in any way. It’s just infamously put us on the map, and if you’ve looked at the reviews from Pizza Express after it, they were all hilarious, saying, ‘yep, it’s a good place for an alibi’, things like that! So it’s kind of, you know, British self-deprecating humour came through. But I would rather he didn’t associate with the town. What’s come out and what he’s allegedly done.”
As I pour myself a solitary Diet Coke, a Happy Birthday chorus erupts from one of the packed tables, a strange echo from Princess Beatrice’s friend’s apparent bash all those years ago. It’s the first of multiple Happy Birthdays this evening. This is a spacious branch, with ambient lighting that gives it a relaxed, slightly upmarket feel.
It’s well situated, right in the heart of Woking, and it’s easy to see why this might be a popular choice for gatherings. The food is also good. Pizza Express has long been a high street favourite of mine, long before it hit the headlines, and the Funghi di Bosco, Romano style, of course, is well-cooked and piping hot. I also can’t resist the light, refreshing lemon-and-raspberry cheesecake with the gelato.
As the night wears on, the families are joined by couples, old and young, some collecting boxes to take home with them. There’s certainly no signs of this being a slightly macabre royal landmark, up there with the Tower of London or the burial vaults of St George’s Chapel.
I’m enjoying my meal so much that it’s easy to forget the troubling reasons that have brought me here this chilly evening. Indeed, it’s other, more positive aspects of Woking life are celebrated here, including a framed quote from iconic singer-songwriter and Woking native Paul Weller, which reads, “I’d like to think I’ve left something in the world. Without in any way trying to be morbid, but life is very short, and I’d like to think I’d leave some body of work that would inspire other musicians long after I’ve gone”.
There’s also a quote from Weller’s band, The Jam, “Better stop dreaming of the quiet life, ‘cos it’s the one we’ll never know.” This quote feel eerily poignant given last week’s extraordinary developments for the fallen prince, who was pictured leaving the police station after 11 hours of custody slumped in the back of a Range Rover, looking particularly shell-shocked.
It’s clear that there’s a certain plucky pride to Woking, the setting of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, and a hugely influential hub of Mod culture. More than just a handy London commuter town, this spirited town and its residents have plenty to say about that 2001 visit from a largely unwelcome out-of-towner. While it may rankle and bemuse locals in equal measure, it appears as though the unsavoury Pizza Express Andrew connection is here to stay.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: ‘I worked for Queen Elizabeth – Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor moment made my skin crawl’
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