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 genuine. 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 person discussed has been redacted, but 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 prince has consistently denied any wrongdoing and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022 without admitting liability. He has previously questioned whether the photograph was doctored.
Giuffre’s family said the email vindicated her. Her brother, Sky Roberts, told the BBC’s Newsnight: “It truly does vindicate Virginia … she was not lying this entire time.”
The email, released by the US Department of Justice, adds that Maxwell was not aware of “anything improper” taking place at her home. In a 2019 interview, Prince Andrew denied meeting Giuffre and claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on the night the photo was allegedly taken.
