Andrew Invited Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Harvey Weinstein to Royal Lodge: Report
Prince Andrew reportedly invited the controversial trio for Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday.
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Although Prince Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations surrounding his sketchy ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the substantial evidence against him remains hard to ignore. Just a week after he renounced his royal titles, another resurfaced detail has added to his dwindling public image. According to a new report, Andrew allegedly invited Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Harvey Weinstein to his Royal Lodge residence for Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday. To make matters worse, the invitation came just two months after Epstein was accused of abuse.
As per the Daily Express, Epstein, Maxwell, and Weinstein reportedly attended a masked ball for Beatrice in 2006, just weeks after a US arrest warrant was issued for Epstein over indecent relations. Sources say the trio visited Royal Lodge before the main celebration, which was held in Windsor Castle's state rooms and featured a champagne reception and formal dinner. Interestingly, when asked about the alleged invitation in his 2019 Newsnight interview, Andrew retorted, "Certainly I wasn't aware when the invitation was issued what was going on in the US, and I wasn't aware until the media picked up on it because he never said anything about it."
In the same interview with Emily Maitlis, the disgraced Prince denied being involved in any wrongdoing with minors, but accepted that he did not regret his friendship with Epstein. He said, "I do not regret friendship with Epstein… the people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful." Meanwhile, while photos of Andrew mingling with Epstein exist, there is no such proof of his friendship with Weinstein. Both Epstein and Weinstein have been convicted of indecent crimes, with Maxwell acting as Epstein's alleged accomplice.
Andrew’s accuser, Virginia Geiffre, has also alleged in her memoir, Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie met Epstein when they were younger. Her claims were echoed in a report by the Daily Mail, which cited that the York sisters were just 9 and 8 when they first met with Epstein, referred to by Sarah Ferguson as 'nice Jeffrey.' While they would later visit Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, the earliest documented interaction appears in a 1998 flight log, which records a meeting under the entry, 'Princess Sarah Ferguson and kids.'
The news of Andrew's shady invitation coincides with his ongoing battle over Royal Lodge. According to The Sun, Andrew allegedly told Palace aides that he would leave the lavish home he has occupied for more than 20 years if he could relocate to Frogmore, while Ferguson hopes to move into Adelaide Cottage.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse or exploitation, please call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 800.422.4453
