A prominent royal biographer has issued a stark warning that "there is worse to come" for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor following the latest release of documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The former prince features prominently in over three million documents published by the US Department of Justice, revealing new details about his association with the disgraced financier.
Damning Revelations in Epstein Files
The document dump contains multiple references to Andrew, including emails showing he invited Epstein to dinner at Buckingham Palace just days after the convicted sex offender's house arrest ended. In one astonishing exchange from September 2010, Andrew promised Epstein "lots of privacy" during a London visit, suggesting they could dine at the palace.
Among the most disturbing elements are photographs appearing to show Andrew crouching on all fours over a woman lying on the floor. The images, which lack context about when or where they were taken, show a man believed to be the former Duke of York wearing jeans and a white polo shirt while staring directly at the camera in one instance.
Biographer's Grave Assessment
Andrew Lownie, a royal historian who authored a biography about Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, told the Daily Mail that the documents demonstrate Andrew "continued to lie about his association to Epstein." He described the revelations as "the biggest scandal to the royal family in over 100 years" and suggested Epstein had been using Andrew to gain access to the late Queen.
"I think the royal family have known about this stuff," Mr Lownie stated. "They've known that Andrew and Sarah were under surveillance by the intelligence authorities. So this stuff would have been reported back to Buckingham Palace. But it's the old story that the royal family ignores anything until the story breaks."
Sarah Ferguson's Involvement
The documents also shed light on Sarah Ferguson's relationship with Epstein, revealing emails in which she thanked him for "being the brother I have always wished for." In another message, she referred to him as "my dear spectacular and special friend" and "a legend."
Mr Lownie emphasised the significance of this connection, noting: "I think what's damaging is how close Sarah was to Epstein, and that's gone under the radar." He added that neither Andrew nor Sarah Ferguson could "ever recover from what's been emerging" and that their reputations were "absolutely in the dust."
Further Incriminating Evidence
The files contain numerous email exchanges between Andrew and Epstein that contradict the former prince's public statements about distancing himself from the financier. In one message from 2010, Andrew wrote to Epstein: "See you tomorrow afternoon. Really looking forward to seeing you and spending some time with you after so long."
Another revelation shows Epstein offering to arrange a dinner for Andrew with a "clever, beautiful and trustworthy" 26-year-old Russian woman in August 2010. Andrew responded that he would be "delighted to see her" and asked Epstein: "Good to be free?"
Ghislaine Maxwell Connection
The documents also highlight Andrew's close relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate. Email exchanges show affectionate messages between them, with Mr Lownie asserting this provides further proof they were romantically involved.
"They were lovers, they had been lovers," Mr Lownie claimed. "They have known each other for years. It was a very close relationship. Ghislaine was Epstein's right-hand woman. She was very, very close to Andrew."
Royal Family's Response
According to Mr Lownie, the royal family had "plenty of opportunities to discipline Andrew, to remove him from his posts in the past to deal with him, but they've only done so because of public pressure and media pressure." He suggested the palace had been "bracing themselves for the stuff to emerge at some point."
The biographer warned that the released documents represent "only a very small percentage of the material the DOJ collected," indicating more damaging information could emerge from the Epstein estate if authorities choose to release it.
Andrew's Current Situation
Andrew was spotted driving on the Windsor Estate and horse riding hours after the document release, appearing expressionless in photographs. The former prince stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following his controversial Newsnight interview and was subsequently stripped of his HRH style and prince title by King Charles.
Despite the mounting evidence, an internal FBI memo from 2020 stated Andrew was "not a big part of our investigation" regarding Epstein's child sex crimes. However, Mr Lownie maintained that Andrew "is deeply, deeply implicated, which is why he's not going to go and talk to the Senate or anyone else."
The biographer concluded that Andrew and Sarah Ferguson "lie even about things they don't need to lie about" and that their continued association with Epstein, even after his 2009 conviction, demonstrates a pattern of deception that has permanently damaged their standing.
