The disgraced former Duke of York Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor hardly inspires loyalty – yet some royals are proving blood is thicker than water. The Epstein Files have brought a series of shocking allegations against Andrew, like inviting the convicted US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to Buckingham Palace in September 2010, promising him “lots of privacy”.
A separate email contained in the bundle of three million documents claims Andrew and Epstein engaged in a threesome with an exotic dancer. Disturbing images show Andrew crouched over a mystery woman lying on her back, while emails from Epstein to the now 66-year-old royal show him setting the ex-prince up for dinner with a 26-year-old “beautiful and trustworthy” Russian.
Definitely not a classic honeytrap then. How naïve and daft was he?
Worse emails have also emerged where Andrew tells Epstein his freedom in 2010 from his prison sentence for procuring a 14-year-old for prostitution was “really, really good news”.
Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in jail in 2008, but only served 13 months before being released in July 2009, and ordered to then serve a year’s probation until August 2010.
In an email sent to Andrew and his ex-wife Fergie on July 24, 2010, Epstein revealed his joy at serving his probation, so finally being allowed to travel abroad again, telling them: “I will be in Paris starting tomorrow.”
Andrew replied: “Congratulations! Really, really good news. If you are in Paris around the 16th I’ll be across to pay homage to your new life ahead!” Andrew signed the email off with ‘HRH The Duke of York KG’.
Pay homage to a convicted paedophile?
Last month, on his 66th birthday, Andrew was arrested at his temporary home in Sandringham, Norfolk, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office for allegedly passing confidential UK information to Epstein when working as a trade envoy.
Andrew – who MPs in Westminster recently branded a “rude, arrogant and entitled man” – strenuously denies any wrongdoing.
But you can imagine he is hardly being flooded with invites to social gatherings and parties. He will not be going to any Sandringham wine and cheese evenings anytime soon.
Even King Charles, who has concerns over his brother’s mental wellbeing, has not been to see him. How could he?
So it is not surprising – but to her credit as a kind-hearted, genuine and charitable human being – that the Princess Royal instead has been in contact with her sibling to check on him.
It has been reported Princess Anne made a phone call to Andrew on Christmas Day, when he was alone at Royal Lodge in Windsor, as the rest of the royals celebrated festivities in Norfolk.
Sources have stressed she rang him before the devastating Epstein Files were released – and even back then was “angry with him for his links” to the paedophile financier.
It has also been reported that Anne may have suggested Andrew move to her Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire after his eviction from Royal Lodge – instead of going to Marsh Farm in Sandringham.
However, the same source claims Anne’s attitude towards Andrew has subsequently “hardened” with the release of the Epstein files.
It suggested Anne now shares the family view that “unless Andrew was distanced, the risk of reputational damage to the institution would be considerable”.
That Anne still wants (or at least wanted) her brother to be allowed to attend family gatherings shows her to be brimming with humanity.
She is a sister Andrew does not deserve.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
