Former Prince Andrew can’t escape Epstein’s shadow as new documents reveal details about friendship

Britain’s royal family is facing renewed scrutiny after documents released from the U.S. investigation into Jeffrey Epstein revealed troubling details about his relationship with the man formerly known as Prince Andrew.

The emails, released by the U.S. Justice Department, include an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce his correspondent to a “26-year-old Russian woman,” and photos appearing to show Andrew kneeling over an unidentified person lying on the floor.

These revelations come three months after King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles, including his right to be addressed as a prince. The move was an attempt to shield the monarchy from the ongoing controversy surrounding Andrew’s relationship with Epstein, which has tarnished the royal family’s reputation for more than a decade. The former prince is now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, suggests the damage from these latest emails will likely be limited to Mountbatten-Windsor personally, as the royal family has already taken steps to distance themselves from him.

“The documents show that they had to do something to separate Andrew from the rest of the family, and the nuclear option was the clearest way of doing it,” Prescott said. “And as more comes out, then you do feel that they have been justified.”

The emails not only raise serious questions about Andrew’s judgment but also offer a rare glimpse into the private lives of some of the world’s elite. “It’s sort of the things they do behind some of the most gilded doors in New York or London or wherever,” Prescott noted.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested that Mountbatten-Windsor should cooperate fully with American investigators. “In terms of testifying, I’ve always said anybody who’s got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they’re asked to do that, because you can’t be victim-centered if you’re not prepared to do that,” Starmer remarked while in Japan for diplomatic meetings.

Despite a statement in late 2019 expressing willingness to assist law enforcement agencies, previous documents show that Mountbatten-Windsor’s lawyers repeatedly rejected proposals for direct interviews with federal prosecutors. They instead pushed for written questions, a format permitted in British courts. By September 2020, frustrated prosecutors announced plans to seek British court intervention to compel his testimony, though there’s no indication he has ever provided such testimony. In November, the House Oversight Committee also requested Andrew sit for a transcribed interview as part of their Epstein investigation.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein has been problematic since 2008, when the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. The situation worsened in 2011 when Virginia Giuffre alleged she had been trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17.

A disastrous 2019 BBC interview intended to address these allegations only intensified the scandal, with Andrew criticized for offering implausible explanations and showing little empathy for Epstein’s victims. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and rejected Giuffre’s allegations.

The newly released emails include an August 2010 exchange between Epstein and an account labeled “The Duke” shortly after Epstein’s release from home detention. In one exchange, Epstein writes, “I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with,” to which “The Duke” replies with apparent enthusiasm, asking for details about the woman, whom Epstein describes as “26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy.”

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond expressed shock at these exchanges. “I mean, what was he thinking?” Bond told the BBC. “What was he thinking when Epstein offered him a 26-year-old Russian very beautiful lady to have dinner with? I mean, was there no red light saying, ‘Oh my goodness, you know, is this a security risk? Could she be a spy?'”

In another exchange from September 2010, “The Duke” invited Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, emphasizing they would have “lots of privacy” there.

The document release also includes three photographs showing someone resembling Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified person whose face is redacted. The context and timing of these photos remain unclear.

Despite these damaging revelations, Prescott believes the palace has already taken the most severe actions possible against the former prince. “In terms of Andrew’s reputation, that has totally gone,” he concluded.