Freshly disclosed emails from Jeffrey Epstein's estate have raised serious questions about Prince Andrew's previous statements regarding his relationship with the convicted sex offender and his denials about meeting accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Timeline Contradictions Emerge
The newly released correspondence reveals that in March 2011, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor communicated directly with both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell about media allegations. This communication occurred four months after he publicly claimed to have severed all ties with the disgraced financier.
In one particularly telling exchange, the former prince told Epstein and Maxwell: "I can't take any more of this" in response to a Mail on Sunday investigation. This directly contradicts his previous assertions about having already ended the relationship by that point.
Photograph Verification Through Email Evidence
Perhaps the most damaging revelation comes from Epstein's own words regarding the now-infamous photograph showing Andrew with his arm around a then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre. In a 2011 email, Epstein explicitly confirmed the image's authenticity, stating: "Yes, she was on my plane and yes, she had her photo taken with Andrew as many of my employees have."
This directly challenges Andrew's 2019 BBC Newsnight interview claims, where he suggested the photograph might have been doctored and maintained he had "absolutely no memory" of it being taken.
Ongoing Damage Control Efforts
The email trove, published by the US House oversight committee, shows Andrew's attempts to distance himself from the growing scandal. In one message, he insisted: "Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations."
Epstein, meanwhile, appeared keen to discredit Giuffre, suggesting in July 2011 that journalists should investigate her background because "the palace would love it." He described her as "nothing more than a telephone answerer" and claimed she was "never 15" according to her own version of events.
In another exchange with a different journalist that same year, Epstein continued his campaign against Giuffre's credibility while simultaneously verifying key details: "Yes she was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have. I have never misled you, this girl is a total liar."
Lasting Consequences and Legal Fallout
The persistent connections to Epstein ultimately led to dramatic consequences for Andrew's public life. Following the publication of Giuffre's memoirs and the US government's release of documents from Epstein's estate, King Charles stripped his brother of all royal titles, effectively ending his public role.
Giuffre's allegations, detailed in her posthumous memoir, claimed she was forced to have sex with the former prince on three separate occasions: at Maxwell's London home, Epstein's Manhattan residence, and the financier's private island, Little St James.
Andrew continues to deny all allegations made against him. The email revelations come amid the ongoing fallout from the Epstein case, which saw the financier take his own life in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking in 2022.
