A Woking restaurant once the centre of international media attention is back in the spotlight.

Ever since the former Prince Andrew’s infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, the town’s Pizza Express outlet has symbolised the scandal that brought him down.

Now, recently released US court documents have thrust the Goldsworth Road eaterie back into the story of Andrew’s downfall, reviving scrutiny of his long-standing claim that he was dining there in 2001 when a now-notorious photograph was taken in London.

The renewed attention follows the publication of additional material from American court files connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Among the tranche of documents is an email attributed to Ghislaine Maxwell, written in 2015, referring to Andrew meeting “a number of friends of mine” and stating that “a photograph was taken” during the encounter.

In his Newsnight interview, Andrew said he had “no recollection” of meeting Virginia Giuffre and claimed he had been at Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter on the day the photograph was allegedly taken.

The credibility of that alibi has been debated since then.

At the time, Pizza Express said it did not retain staff rotas from 2001 and no member of staff has publicly confirmed recalling Andrew being present that day. There is no independent witness evidence placing him at the restaurant, though there is no documentary proof he was not there.

The Epstein scandal has already had profound consequences. Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 and later lost his military titles and royal patronages.

Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. In 2022 he settled a civil claim in the United States without admission of liability. He has not been charged with any criminal offence in the UK.