Kamal Ghorui
Newly released US Justice Department documents claim Prince Andrew invited convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to Buckingham Palace in 2010, two years after Epstein’s guilty plea for child prostitution charges. The documents allege email exchanges between the two, showing Andrew offering dinner at the palace while promising “lots of privacy”, as reported by The Independent UK magazine.The email correspondence from September 27, 2010, shows Andrew telling Epstein he was traveling from Scotland to London, where Epstein was staying.
He tells Epstein “we could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy”. Epstein replied with, “Already in london [sic]. what time woudl [sic] you like me and we will also need/ have private time.” It remains unclear if the palace meeting actually took place.The documents also claim other concerning exchanges. In August 2010, Epstein offered to set up Andrew with a “beautiful” 26-year-old Russian woman. Andrew, using an email address signed “HRH The Duke of York KG,” showed interest and asked for more details about her. Epstein writes in one email, “I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with.” In response, “The Duke” replies, “Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch.” Replying to another redacted email, “The Duke” added, “Great. Any other information you might know about her that might be useful to know? Like what have you told her about me and have you given her my email as well?”The files also include communications from Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice who was later convicted of child sex trafficking. One exchange showed Maxwell consoling Andrew after the Queen Mother’s death in March 2002, signing off with “Love you. Gx.”These revelations shed new light on Andrew’s controversial friendship with Epstein, which ultimately led to King Charles stripping him of his royal titles. The relationship reportedly began in 1999 when Maxwell introduced them, and continued even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for child sex offenses, according to The Independent.Andrew faced serious allegations from Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was forced to have sexual encounters with him when she was 17. While Andrew denies these claims, he reportedly paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Giuffre in 2022.The prince’s decision to maintain contact with Epstein after his conviction drew widespread criticism, particularly after photos emerged of them together in New York in 2010. During a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew claimed this meeting was to end their friendship, though his explanation did little to quell public outrage.Maxwell, who was friends with Andrew since her university days, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
