Scottish Daily Express editor Ben Borland has revealed how he landed the newspaper's latest world exclusive on the Police Scotland investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein's activities at Balmoral.
Years of investigation into Epstein and Balmoral
Borland said he has been investigating the former Prince Andrew, Epstein and their connection to Balmoral for several years. Last year, he established that the late Queen Elizabeth and most of the Royal Family were at the castle in April 1999, almost certainly around the same time as Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were photographed together outside a log cabin.
He also examined other Scottish angles in the Epstein Files, including a flight on the 'Lolita Express' private jet from Luton to Edinburgh on September 1, 2006. Days earlier, Epstein and Maxwell had been guests at Princess Eugenie's 18th birthday party at Royal Lodge, but the financier was not on the flight to Scotland, only Andrew, Maxwell and two other mystery passengers.
The key tip-off and police confirmation
The major breakthrough came when Borland spoke to royal author Andrew Lownie, who wrote a book about the then-Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Lownie noted that Police Scotland did not appear to be investigating the activities of Epstein, Maxwell and Andrew at Balmoral, and told Borland: "I've been encouraging friends in Scotland to write to their MSP."
Borland then contacted Police Scotland, with whom the Scottish Daily Express has a good relationship. The force revealed that enquiries were in fact underway.
Holding the story for the world exclusive
The email confirming the investigation arrived on Budget Day, as the Express was preparing pages of news about Andy Burnham and John Healey's plans. Borland discussed with deputy editor Richard Elias whether the story could hold, and the following morning briefed the Express editor-in-chief.
After legal approval, the story was held until it hit the newspaper's websites at 10pm on Thursday evening and appeared on shelves across the UK on Friday morning, making headlines worldwide.
