Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (born February 19, 1960), is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger brother of King Charles III. A former Royal Navy officer who served in the Falklands War, Andrew held the ceremonial title of Duke of York and served as the UK's special representative for international trade from 2001 to 2011. His decades-long association with Jeffrey Epstein became the subject of extensive public scrutiny, culminating in his being stripped of all royal titles and military honors by King Charles III in 2025. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

While Prince Andrew does not appear as a sender or recipient in any of the emails in Epstein's archive, he is referenced in numerous documents and email exchanges, particularly regarding his relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, allegations made by Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts), and public relations efforts to manage the scandal that emerged in 2011. In 2022, Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre for an estimated £12 million without admitting liability, with the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III reportedly funding the settlement. Giuffre died in 2025 at age 41, shortly before the publication of her posthumous memoir.

Background#

Andrew Albert Christian Edward was born at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 1960, the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of his birth, he was second in line to the British throne, behind his older brother Charles (now King Charles III). He was educated at Heatherdown Preparatory School and Gordonstoun, following in the footsteps of his father and elder brother.

Andrew joined the Royal Navy in 1979 and trained as a helicopter pilot, serving for 22 years. He saw active combat during the 1982 Falklands War, flying helicopters from HMS Inverness. In 1986, he married Sarah Ferguson in a highly publicized ceremony; the couple had two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, before divorcing in 1996.

From 2001 to 2011, Andrew served as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment, a role that drew criticism for his reportedly lavish travel expenses and association with controversial figures. He was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1990s, and their friendship persisted for over a decade, with Andrew hosting Epstein and Maxwell at royal residences including Windsor Castle, Sandringham, and Balmoral.

Public reporting on Andrew's connection to Epstein intensified in 2011, and in 2019, Andrew gave a disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in which he attempted to explain his relationship with the convicted sex offender. The interview was widely criticized and led to Andrew stepping back from royal duties. In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages, and in 2025, King Charles III formally removed all remaining titles, ordering him to vacate Royal Lodge.

Correspondence with Epstein#

Prince Andrew does not appear directly in Epstein's email correspondence as a sender or recipient. However, the archive contains several emails forwarded to Epstein from an account identified as "The Duke," which reference Andrew's activities and business interests.

In December 2010, shortly after Epstein's release from prison, Andrew forwarded Epstein a business proposal regarding Aria Petroleum, a Central Asian fuel distribution company. The email, sent December 2, 2010, asked Epstein: "I should have done something about this but not sure if the office did. I am checking but as this is a US institution do you know of anyone who might like to take a look?" The proposal sought a $200 million working capital line and suggested connecting with senior bankers at Barclays or RBS.

On December 3, 2010, Andrew forwarded Epstein a New York Post "Page Six" item about himself with the note "This just in". The article described Andrew attending a party at Ghislaine Maxwell's townhouse, noting it was "almost like a singles party" and that "the prince seemed to be enchanted with many of the women in the room".

In June 2010, an email was forwarded to Epstein thanking several individuals for helping with Sarah Ferguson's financial difficulties, with "HRH Prince Andrew Duke of York" copied. The email expressed gratitude for "amazing friendship. Your loyalty and kindness" in addressing what appeared to be a debt restructuring matter.

The most extensive references to Prince Andrew appear in June 2011 correspondence regarding a Vanity Fair article by Edward Klein. The magazine was fact-checking allegations about Epstein's relationship with Andrew and Virginia Giuffre. Klein's inquiry, forwarded through Epstein's assistant Lesley Groff, asked about payments to Sarah Ferguson, the photograph of Andrew with Giuffre, and whether Andrew continued to meet with Epstein after the December 2010 Central Park walk.

Maxwell and Epstein exchanged multiple emails crafting responses to Klein's questions. Maxwell's draft response, dated June 9, 2011, stated: "MS MAXWELL HAS NO RECOLECTION OF THE PHOTO BEING TAKEN AND GIVEN WE ARE TAL=ING AN EVENT THAT ALLEDGEDLY TOOK PLACE OVER 10 YEARS AGO IT WOULD BE SURPR=SING". The response also attacked Giuffre's credibility, claiming she "fled the country with an outstanding arrest warrant for grand theft" and had a history of "sexual harassment claims against people other than Mr Epstein" that were "thrown out of court for her lack of credibility".

In March 2011, both Terje Rod-Larsen and publicist Peggy Siegal received emails from Epstein forwarding a BBC request for an interview about "stories which are circulating, however inaccurately, about both him and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York". The BBC emphasized that the interview would "set the news agenda for the country".

Connections#

Prince Andrew's primary connection in Epstein's network was Ghislaine Maxwell, who introduced him to Epstein in the 1990s. The trio were photographed together on multiple occasions, including at Balmoral in 1999. Maxwell coordinated Andrew's visits to Epstein properties and, according to court filings, facilitated the alleged encounters with Virginia Giuffre. In a 2011 email exchange with Epstein about the Vanity Fair article, Maxwell defended Andrew and stated she had "no knowledge" of him being in "any state of undress" and that he had "always been properly attired" when she saw him.

Sarah Ferguson, Andrew's ex-wife, received financial assistance from Epstein. The 2011 Vanity Fair inquiry referenced newspaper reports that Andrew arranged for Epstein to give Ferguson £15,000 to help retire her debts, though Klein claimed a source told him "Sarah Ferguson actually received hundreds of thousands of dollars". Emails in the archive show Epstein's staff arranging New York apartments for Ferguson in September 2009 and booking her flights between London, Miami, and New York. In one email, Ferguson thanked Epstein effusively, writing: "In just one week, I have gone from nothing, to the biggest deals I have ever done". Ferguson later publicly admitted accepting money from Epstein and called it a "gigantic error of judgment".

Other figures in Epstein's network connected to Andrew include David Stern, who appears cc'd on emails coordinating responses to media inquiries about Andrew, and various public relations professionals enlisted to manage the scandal, including Mike Sitrick and Edward Klein.

Document References#

Prince Andrew figures prominently in court filings related to Virginia Giuffre's civil litigation. A December 30, 2014 joinder motion filed in the Crime Victims' Rights Act case identified Prince Andrew as one of the "politically-connected and financially-powerful people" to whom Epstein allegedly trafficked Giuffre when she was a minor. The motion alleged Giuffre was "sexually exploited by Epstein's adult male peers, including royalty". The federal judge in that case subsequently struck these allegations as "immaterial and impertinent" to the central claim and unnecessary "lurid details".

Court documents in Giuffre v. Maxwell detail Giuffre's allegations that she had sexual encounters with Andrew on three occasions: in London in 2001 when she was 17, at Epstein's New York mansion, and on Little St. James island. Discovery materials reference the well-known photograph showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre's waist at Maxwell's London home, with Maxwell visible in the background. In 2011 email exchanges, Maxwell claimed to have "no recollection of the photo being taken".

A sworn deposition by Juan Alessi, a former employee at Epstein's Palm Beach estate, alleged that Prince Andrew attended naked pool parties and was treated to massages by a harem of adolescent girls. In response to these allegations, Maxwell's 2011 statement asserted she had "never seen the Duke in any state of undress at anytime" and was "not aware of any such parties".

Flight logs from Epstein's aircraft, referenced in media reports included in the archive, documented multiple trips involving Andrew. The Mail on Sunday reported having evidence from flight logs of Epstein's Boeing 727 and Gulfstream jet showing Giuffre, Epstein, Maxwell, and Andrew traveling together.

In February 2022, Andrew settled Giuffre's civil lawsuit for an estimated £12 million without admitting liability. The settlement, reportedly funded largely by the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, included a donation to Giuffre's charity supporting victims' rights. Andrew has not repaid the loan from the royal family, according to press reports.

Visits to Epstein Properties#

The archive and public reporting document multiple interactions between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein at various properties:

Manhattan townhouse:

1. December 2010 – Andrew stayed at Epstein's townhouse during a visit to New York. Emails show publicist Peggy Siegal organized a "last-minute casual dinner" for Andrew at Epstein's residence, describing it as "one the largest single dwellings in New York". Guests at this dinner reportedly included Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn, and Katie Couric.
2. December 5, 2010 – Andrew and Epstein were photographed walking together in Central Park, near Epstein's East 71st Street mansion. In his 2019 BBC interview, Andrew claimed this visit was to tell Epstein "it is not appropriate that we should remain in contact" in person because of his "tendency to be too honourable". Emails in the archive suggest the relationship continued after this meeting.

London (Maxwell's residence):

1. 2001 – According to court filings and the famous photograph, Andrew met with Virginia Giuffre at Ghislaine Maxwell's London townhouse when Giuffre was 17. Giuffre alleged that Maxwell told her "the Duke had a good time" the following morning.

Little St. James island:

1. Court documents allege Andrew had sexual contact with Giuffre on Epstein's private Caribbean island, though specific dates are not provided in the archive emails.

Palm Beach:

1. Juan Alessi's deposition referenced Andrew's presence at Epstein's Palm Beach estate, alleging attendance at pool parties.

Other royal residences (reverse hosting):

1. Andrew invited Epstein and Maxwell to stay at Balmoral in 1999, Windsor Castle in 2000, and hosted a birthday party for Maxwell at Sandringham in 2000.