Epstein Files Expose New Photo of Andrew and Mandelson in Bathrobes with Financier
A startling image has emerged from the three million documents comprising the Epstein Files, released by the US Department of Justice. It depicts Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson seated in crisp white bathrobes, their hair still damp, flanking Jeffrey Epstein, who is fully dressed in a polo shirt and chinos. Epstein's arm is casually draped over the back of his chair, positioning him as the central figure in what appears to be a power dynamic.
Scene of a Coastal Getaway with Sinister Undertones
Thought to have been taken at a summer house in Martha's Vineyard during the early 2000s, the photograph initially presents as a typical New England coastal retreat. Friends lounge on wooden outdoor furniture with a barbecue in the background and coffee mugs emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes on the table. However, this is far from an innocent backyard snapshot. Instead, it captures the nascent, seedy association between Andrew, then a prince, and Mandelson, a Labour peer, with the disgraced financier—connections that would later precipitate their dramatic downfalls.
Relaxed and barefoot in their gowns, both men exhibit a dewy after-spa glow, suggesting they had just emerged from a massage or sauna session. This contrasts sharply with their ashen-faced appearances in recent weeks following arrests on suspicion of misconduct in public office, linked to leaking sensitive data to Epstein. Both individuals deny the allegations.
Context and Connections Behind the Photograph
The trio are believed to have been pictured at the holiday home of the wealthy Lady de Rothschild in the coveted community just south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. No specific time or date is provided for the photograph, which was unearthed by ITV News, and the photographer remains unknown. Like tens of thousands of other items in the Epstein Files, it lacks context but appears framed, indicating it may have been displayed at one of Epstein's properties.
This image is understood to have been taken between 1999 and 2000, prior to Epstein's imprisonment for soliciting a minor. At that time, Mandelson and Andrew knew each other through Mandelson's role as Northern Ireland secretary. Their connection to Epstein stemmed from mutual friends, including Epstein's on-off girlfriend and convicted madam Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as City financier Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and his future wife, Lynn Forester.
Deepening Ties and Revelations from the Files
In 2000, a year before Andrew became the UK's trade envoy, both he and Mandelson, then a senior adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, attended the de Rothschilds' wedding. Previously, Mandelson was thought to have met Epstein in 2001, but emails suggest their association dates back to at least 1999. The released files reveal that Mandelson reminisced about their first meeting, describing being 'entranced' by the convicted sex offender.
In a 2013 email exchange with Epstein's staff, Mandelson discussed a photo he had been sent, stating, 'I think it was Martha's the first time I met Jeffrey, staying with Lynn Forester.' This likely refers to Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a businesswoman and widow of Sir Evelyn. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the de Rothschilds.
Broader Implications and Ongoing Investigations
The release of the Epstein files has laid bare the depth of the relationships between Mandelson and Epstein, and Epstein and Andrew. Both men deny wrongdoing but remain under police investigation for allegedly leaking sensitive information to the paedophile while in public office. Although the files were released in January, the sheer volume means new evidence continues to surface.
This is not the first time Mandelson, 72, and Andrew, 66, have appeared in embarrassing photos linked to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting a sex-trafficking trial. Other images from the files show Andrew on all fours leaning over a woman and Mandelson in his underwear conversing with a young woman at Epstein's Paris apartment.
A woman who previously worked for Epstein claimed she massaged both Mountbatten-Windsor and Mandelson on Martha's Vineyard, describing them as 'both perfect gentlemen.' However, the photograph underscores the troubling nexus of power, politics, and scandal that continues to unravel as more details emerge from the Epstein Files.
