An email believed to have been sent by Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a photograph of Prince Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre is real. The message, released as part of the latest tranche of the Epstein files, was headed “draft statement” and sent by “G Maxwell” to Jeffrey Epstein in 2015.
In the email, Maxwell wrote: “In 2001 I was in London when [redacted] met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew. A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family.” The name of the individual discussed has been redacted, but the details suggest it was Giuffre.
Giuffre, who died in April 2025, alleged that Prince Andrew had sex with her three times when she was a teenager. The Duke of York has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In 2022, he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault claim brought by Giuffre, without admitting liability. He had previously questioned whether the photograph had been doctored.
The email, released by the US Department of Justice, adds that Maxwell was not aware of “anything improper” taking place at her home. Giuffre's family told the BBC’s Newsnight that the email vindicated her. Her brother, Sky Roberts, said: “It truly does vindicate Virginia … she was not lying this entire time. It’s a moment where we’re really proud of our sister.”
In a 2019 Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew denied meeting Giuffre and suggested the photograph may have been faked. He claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, on the night the photo was allegedly taken. In December, the Metropolitan Police decided not to launch a full criminal investigation into allegations that Andrew had sex with Giuffre in London in 2001 and that he pressured his police protection officer to find damaging information on her.
