Photographs released by the US justice department show how Prince Andrew facilitated convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's entry into British high society. The images, part of a trove of documents made public on Friday, depict Epstein and Maxwell hunting with Andrew at Balmoral and in the royal box at Ascot.
One photograph, taken at Sandringham, shows Andrew reclining across five people with his head near a woman's lap, while Maxwell peers down and smiles. Another image, believed to be from 2002, shows Maxwell posing in Winston Churchill's war rooms with former US president Bill Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey.
The release of the 'Epstein files' was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with the US justice department required to make all investigation files public by midnight Friday. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said 'several hundred thousand' documents were released, with more to follow to protect victims' identities.
Andrew's association with Epstein ultimately led to his departure from royal life. He stepped down from official duties in 2019 after a disastrous Newsnight interview and later paid millions to Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her when she was trafficked by Epstein as a teenager. Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
The documents also include photos of former US president Bill Clinton, musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, and former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson, though there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by them. Many files remain heavily redacted, drawing criticism from US lawmakers and victims' lawyers.
