Images released from the ‘Epstein files’ place renewed focus on links between Mountbatten-Windsor and the disgraced financier
The Royal Family faces an ongoing trickle of revelations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after a newly released photograph showed him lying across the laps of several women at Sandringham, an expert has warned.
The former Duke of York’s links to the paedophile financier are under fresh scrutiny after several images from were released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) appearing to chronicle how Mountbatten-Windsor introduced Epstein to British high society during their friendship.
In one undated image, Mountbatten-Windsor is pictured reclining across the legs of five women whose faces have been redacted with black squares.
The photo was taken in the sitting room at Sandringham, King Charles’s private estate in Norfolk, and also features Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate and now a convicted child sex offender.
In his infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor confirmed that Epstein had been invited to Sandringham at his behest for a weekend shooting party along with Maxwell. It is not clear if the photograph relates to that gathering.
Mountbatten-Windsor is due to move to Sandringham in the new year after being stripped of his remaining royal titles by his older brother in the wake of the Epstein saga and the enduring accusation that he had sex on three occasions with Virginia Giuffre while she was a teenager. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the allegations.
Further Epstein files to be released on a rolling basis
As global attention this weekend alighted on the so-called “Epstein files” – the vast trove of US Government documents made the subject of a law ordering their release by Friday – one leading expert warned that the King and other senior royals face the prospect of continued disclosures after the DoJ let it be known that further files are to be released on a rolling basis.
Mountbatten-Windsor is one of numerous public figures, including former US president Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and politician Lord Mandelson, who appear in photographs released in the Epstein files. There is no suggestion that appearing in such images is any evidence of wrongdoing.
Ed Owens, a royal historian, said: “There is no doubt that this continuing evidence of the association between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein is embarrassing for the royal family. When you have pictures of him lying across the laps of women with their faces notably edited out, it looks disturbing and raises fresh questions about his behaviour.
“The problem for the King is that we already know that there are other tranches of files to be released and that there could be more material related to Mountbatten-Windsor within them. It is entirely possible that there will be further revelations that once more place Mountbatten-Windsor and the royal family back in the spotlight.”
The latest files also contain a picture of Mountbatten-Windsor with Epstein and Maxwell in the royal box at Ascot and a further image which appears to show Mountbatten-Windsor taking the financier and his girlfriend shooting on the Balmoral estate. All three photographs are undated.
Controversy over redacted documents
The much-anticipated DoJ release has proved controversial. Democrat politicians have complained that the tens of thousands of pages made public are heavily redacted and incomplete, offering little new insight into Epstein’s crimes or the decisions which allowed him to avoid serious charges for years. Among the records missing for the files so far are FBI interviews with victims and memos explaining charging decisions.
The DoJ said it has had to slow the release of documents because of the time-consuming process of protecting the identity of victims and ensuring any fresh investigations into Epstein can proceed without important evidence being put into the public domain.
Dr Owens said that while further document dumps were likely to be unwelcome for Buckingham Palace, the King and his senior aides have now done what they can to isolate Mountbatten-Windsor and send a message that he sits outside the royal circle.
The historian said: “These images are, if you like, proof of why the King acted as he did by deciding to formally demote his brother and remove his title. This was done in anticipation that there would be more revelations regarding Mountbatten-Windsor’s behaviour and his comportment.
“And lo and behold, this is what we have got. On the one hand, it proves that the royal strategy was the right choice. But it’s about damage limitation and, unfortunately, it feels like there will be more damage to come.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives of Mountbatten-Windsor immediately responded to a request for comment on the release of the Epstein material.
Mountbatten-Windsor criticised for ‘silence’
Mountbatten-Windsor stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight interview. But the posthumous publication of a memoir by Ms Giuffre, in which she was highly critical of Mountbatten-Windsor, and the US Government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate, brought continued scrutiny over his relationship with the financier.
US politicians have criticised Mountbatten-Windsor for his “silence” after he missed a deadline last month to respond to their request to provide testimony about his relationship with Epstein.
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source inews.co.uk ’
