Photographs released by the US Justice Department show how Prince Andrew facilitated convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's entry into British high society. The images, part of a trove of documents made public on Friday, depict Andrew with Epstein and Maxwell at royal estates including Balmoral and Sandringham, as well as at Ascot.
One photo, taken at Sandringham, shows Andrew reclining across five people with his head near a woman's lap, while Maxwell appears to look down and smile. Another image, from 2002, shows Maxwell in Winston Churchill's war rooms alongside former US President Bill Clinton and actor Kevin Spacey.
The release of the 'Epstein files' follows the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the Justice Department to make all investigation files public by midnight on Friday. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said 'several hundred thousand' documents were released, with more to follow to protect victims' identities.
Andrew's relationship with Epstein led to his departure from royal duties in 2019 and a multi-million-pound settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and sexually assaulted by Andrew. He has denied the claims. The King stripped Andrew of his royal titles in October.
Other figures pictured in the files include former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who met Epstein in 2002 facilitated by Peter Mandelson, and musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by these individuals.
