Exclusive: Journalist Who Captured Andrew-Epstein Photo Demands Royal Protection Speak Out
Annette Witheridge, the brilliant British journalist responsible for the infamous photograph of Prince Andrew with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is now calling on Royal Protection officers who accompanied the former prince to break their silence. In an exclusive revelation to The Mirror, Witheridge recounts the historic December 2010 day that exposed their relationship, urging those who witnessed the events to come forward.
The Moment That Changed Everything
"I was there. I saw them leave Epstein's New York home together and walk to Central Park, where the picture was taken," Witheridge states emphatically. "If we hadn't got that picture, there would have been no Epstein-Andrew connection, because Andrew would have carried on denying it and we couldn't have proved it. Now it is literally THE picture. History was made."
She reflects on the significance, noting, "It was the start of a whole house of cards coming down that led to where we are now with Andrew. But I must admit when we snapped the pair, I didn't know the magnitude at the time."
Tracking Down the Prince
Working with photographer Jae Donnelly, whose image would later spark Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview, Witheridge tracked the former prince to Epstein's home near Central Park after receiving a tip about his New York visit. "I thought, 'He wouldn't be stupid enough to stay at Epstein's,' but on his road was an undercover NYPD van," she recalls. "Then, as soon as I heard British accents speaking into walkie talkies, I knew I'd got him."
By 1 p.m., Witheridge was positioned directly outside the house. "We couldn't hide, we were in plain sight," she says. "I'd got the window open slightly and heard the guys with British accents, the Royal Protection Squad. They said, 'what happens if he goes walkabout?' The answer was lost on the wind."
Moments later, the front door opened. "Whoosh, there was Andrew and Epstein. Andrew was much greyer than I thought he would be," Witheridge describes. As she and Donnelly pursued them in their car, she exclaimed, "Oh my god, it's him." They reached the corner of 5th Avenue, where Andrew and Epstein turned right against heavy Christmas traffic. Donnelly ran ahead into Central Park and captured the now-iconic photograph. The pair returned to Epstein's home twenty minutes later. "Little did I know how important that picture was going to be," Witheridge admits.
Calling for Accountability
Now, Witheridge is demanding answers from the Royal Protection officers she observed that day. "Those officers... they should be talking now. I often wonder why they're not saying anything. Why have they never spoken to the authorities? I hope that they do now. They could fill in lots and lots of gaps," she asserts.
She speculates on their silence, suggesting, "Andrew's people knew we were out there, so did Epstein's. I understand the Royal Protection Squad and why they didn't say anything to Andrew. These guys, these seasoned police officers, you think they've seen it all. But there were so many girls who were of a grey area when it comes to age going in and out of the house."
Witheridge continues, "Perhaps the officers had daughters of the same age, and were absolutely disgusted by what they had seen. They were staying there as well, you couldn't avoid seeing those girls going in and out. It was every hour, every two hours, they weren't wearing any makeup, big puffer jackets and hoods and hats. We looked at them and thought why are they here and what are they doing? And those officers must have thought the same. At the time I assumed they were told to keep quiet."
The Aftermath and Ongoing Scandal
The photograph proved pivotal, prompting Virginia Roberts (later Giuffre) to come forward with allegations that she was trafficked by Epstein to Andrew when she was 17, which he has always strenuously denied. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025. In July 2019, Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges and later found dead in his cell, ruled a suicide. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in the crimes.
As a result of the scandal, Andrew was stripped of his royal title, evicted from his Windsor home, and earlier this month was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The release of millions of documents from the Epstein files in January, including images, videos, and emails, has continued to haunt the former royal.
Witheridge, now living in Islington, north London, is even mentioned in these documents. "I was laughing to myself because a lot of it is basically me doing my job, going round to the girls, all the women that he had facilitated, and dropping notes through their doors when they weren't in," she reveals. "There were a load of emails and one said, 'if that Annette Witheridge person knocks on my door one more time...'"
She recounts sending a legal letter to Maxwell's representatives after Virginia Roberts spoke out, which was forwarded through channels until it reached Andrew. "He said, 'I can't take any more of this'. And to think, that was only the beginning," Witheridge notes.
Reflections on Ghislaine Maxwell
Witheridge once met Ghislaine Maxwell years ago while working on The Mirror's pop column. "Robert Maxwell, her father, owned The Mirror then, and Ghislaine used to swan into our office. She didn't speak to me because I was too lowly, but she would demand that pop columnist John Blake got her really hard to get hold of concert tickets," she remembers. "She demanded a meeting with Mick Jagger, which he managed to arrange."
Describing Maxwell as "a horrible human being even then," Witheridge adds, "She went out to the New York office and did the same out there, demanding tickets to Broadway shows. Then her father died and she somewhat had her tail between her legs. But then she met Epstein, who was able to give her what she wanted. But what price did she pay?"
While expressing occasional sympathy, Witheridge concludes, "There are some times, and this sounds terrible, but I feel sorry for her. She is the only person that has taken the wrap. But then I think 'you know what, she was an older woman, she picked on young girls. They trusted her, she was like a big sister to them and she abused them.'"
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, arrested and released under investigation, continues to deny any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The scandal, ignited by that single photograph, shows no signs of abating.
