Freshly disclosed legal documents have revealed that the FBI sought to question Prince Andrew as part of an investigation into a second wealthy sex offender, Canadian fashion tycoon Peter Nygard. The request, detailed in the latest release of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, underscores the widening scope of inquiries into the Duke of York's associations.
FBI's 2020 Request for Voluntary Interview
In a letter dated April 2020, US authorities formally asked their UK counterparts to arrange a voluntary interview with Prince Andrew. The FBI wished to question him regarding both the Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Nygard investigations, each involving allegations of sex trafficking minors. The document explicitly stated that Andrew was not a target of the probe and there was no evidence he had broken any US laws, but stressed he could possess valuable information.
The FBI highlighted a specific trip, noting that Prince Andrew and his family visited Nygard's luxury Bahamas resort, Nygard Cay, in the year 2000. "The investigation has revealed that, on at least one occasion, Prince Andrew travelled to Nygard Cay in the Bahamas, a location where Nygard is believed to have trafficked minor and adult female victims," the official request read. Authorities asked Andrew to share any details he recalled about Nygard and other individuals, as well as any females he met through the tycoon or at the resort.
Who is Peter Nygard?
Peter Nygard, the 84-year-old former head of a women's fashion empire, was jailed for 11 years in November 2024 after being convicted on four counts of sexual assault. The crimes occurred between the late 1980s and 2005. He was acquitted on one further count of sexual assault and one of forcible confinement. Nygard still faces separate sex assault and sex trafficking charges in Montreal, Winnipeg, and the United States, all of which he denies.
During his trial, five women testified that after meeting Nygard socially, they were invited to his headquarters under false pretences. Each woman alleged that these encounters ended with non-consensual sexual activity.
Ongoing Scrutiny of Royal Links
The FBI's interest in Andrew extends beyond Nygard. The 2020 letter also notes that evidence suggested Prince Andrew had knowledge that Ghislaine Maxwell recruited females for sex acts with Epstein and others. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing or awareness of Epstein's crimes.
The document release included several cryptic emails from 2001 and 2002, sent by an individual using the alias "The Invisible Man" to the now-jailed Maxwell. One, sent in August 2001 shortly after Andrew left the Royal Navy, mentioned a deceased "valet". Another, from Balmoral, asked Maxwell: "Have you found me some inappropriate friends?" A subsequent email from Maxwell to a third party indicated she had passed on a message to "Andrew" and suggested he would enjoy "two legged sight seeing" – a phrase interpreted as a reference to meeting women.
This latest disclosure maintains intense pressure on the Duke, who settled a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre for a reported multi-million pound sum in 2022. He was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages in 2022 and later had his HRH style and prince title officially removed by King Charles III. US politicians have recently criticised Andrew for his "silence" after he missed a deadline to respond to a request for an interview about Epstein.
