UK Charity Commission Opens Compliance Case Into Princess Eugenie's Anti-Slavery Collective

Britain's Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into The Anti-Slavery Collective, the charity co-founded by Princess Eugenie in 2017.

A commission spokesperson told BBC News on Wednesday: "We have opened a regulatory compliance case into Anti-Slavery Collective to continue assessing concerns raised with us about charitable spending."

The move does not amount to a statutory inquiry. The commission has made no findings or drawn conclusions so far. It has approached the charity and the princess for comment but received no response. No timeframe has been set for the inquiries.

The step marks an escalation from the watchdog's earlier engagement with the group. Earlier this year, the commission confirmed it was "assessing concerns" about the charity. In March, a spokesperson said: "We are assessing concerns raised in the media about charitable spending at The Anti-Slavery Collective to determine what role there is, if any, for the Commission."

The latest statement adds that the commission will engage further with the charity's trustees as part of the case.

BBC News reported in October that the charity's accounts for the previous financial year showed it raised £1.5 million in donations but distributed very little. It carried forward £1.3 million. Much of the income came from a major gala fundraiser in London in 2023. A source in the sector said it would be "difficult optically to do anything high profile like that again."

The most recent accounts, for the year ending April 5, 2025, show donations fell to £48,000. The charity spent £191,537 on salaries, double the amount spent on programs.

The organization focuses on victims of sex trafficking. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie called it a "preposterously inappropriate cause" for Eugenie.

BBC News sought comment from the charity amid controversy over Eugenie's father, Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It did not respond.

Earlier this year, Princess Eugenie stepped down as patron of Anti-Slavery International after seven years. The UK-based group thanked her for her support and confirmed the end of their relationship. No reason was given, but it followed the US Department of Justice's release of Epstein files, which added pressure over Prince Andrew's links to the convicted sex offender.