Britain’s former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has once again been thrust into controversy after the US Justice Department released new images linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case, reigniting global scrutiny of his past associations.
The photographs, which surfaced as part of a fresh tranche of Epstein-related documents, reportedly show Andrew on all fours over a woman lying on the floor. In two images, he appears to be touching the woman’s waist and stomach, while in another he is seen looking directly into the camera. The woman’s face has been blurred, and authorities have not provided details about when or where the photos were taken, leaving their exact context unclear.
The release has reopened debate around Andrew’s long-denied links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Andrew, now 65, was stripped of his royal titles in October due to the fallout from the scandal. He has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Central to the controversy are claims by Virginia Giuffre, a US-Australian citizen who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17. Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew, which was settled out of court in 2022 for a reported multi-million-pound sum, without any admission of guilt by the former prince.
The newly released documents also include email exchanges suggesting Epstein proposed meetings between Andrew and women, including a “clever, beautiful” Russian woman, and messages indicating Epstein was invited to Buckingham Palace for private meetings after his release from house arrest in 2010.
Despite the renewed attention, Andrew has reiterated his denials. However, the latest disclosures ensure that questions surrounding his ties to Epstein and the British monarchy’s handling of the matter are unlikely to fade anytime soon.
