New documents released by the US Department of Justice have reignited the embarrassment surrounding Prince Andrew, already marginalized within the British royal family. In these exchanges dating from 2010, Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution and accused of sexual crimes, proposes a meeting with a 26-year-old Russian woman, described as "beautiful and intelligent," to the brother of King Charles III.
In an email dated August 12, 2010, Epstein mentions a "friend" whom the prince might like to meet in London. Andrew asks what has been said about her and whether the young woman should pass on a message. He then indicates that he will be in Geneva on August 22 but says he is "delighted to see her." The documents do not confirm that a meeting actually took place.
Financial settlement, Virginia Giuffre's suicide: the case resurfaces
The same revelations highlight exchanges in which Andrew invites Epstein to Buckingham Palace shortly after the financier's house arrest ended. In a message dated September 27, 2010, Epstein insists on the need to meet "privately," and Andrew responds by suggesting a dinner at the palace to have "plenty of private time," while specifying his availability during a particular time frame. Again, there is no evidence that this invitation was ever accepted.
Already stripped of his royal titles and removed from his official residence at Windsor, the Duke of York continues to be haunted by his ties to Epstein. His image was permanently tarnished by the accusations of Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault when she was a minor. A civil case concluded in 2022 with a financial settlement without an admission of guilt. Giuffre committed suicide in April in Australia, and these new documents reinforce suspicions about continued contact between Andrew and Epstein after 2010.
