Andrew Tops List of Brits Named in Epstein Files — Prompting a Major Warning From Expert
Andrew headed a list of more than 30 people who appear in the files, including several A-list celebrities and political figures.
Following renewed scrutiny over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the royal family went into damage-control mode, taking steps to distance themselves from him. The former Prince had to relinquish his royal titles and give up his right to reside at Royal Lodge. Beyond the upheaval within the monarchy, the newly released Epstein documents have drawn more attention to his controversial actions. Mountbatten-Windsor is referenced 173 times in the files, a high volume that has further affected his once untainted public image.
According to the Mirror, the disgraced royal headed a list of more than 30 celebrities, including Sir David Beckham, Naomi Campbell, Adele, and Mick Jagger. Among all the names mentioned, he appears the most frequently of any British person. The large volume of documents, released through the US House Oversight Committee's ongoing program, includes emails, logs, letters, subpoenas, travel records, legal notes, and interview summaries spanning over decades. Mountbatten-Windsor's prominent appearance throughout the files has renewed interest and criticism over his past association with the disgraced financier, despite his previous efforts to downplay their friendship.
Unsurprisingly, just behind Mountbatten-Windsor was Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was mentioned 135 times. Her father, the late newspaper baron Robert Maxwell, is mentioned 47 times, making her family the second-largest cluster of British figures linked through volume alone. The list reportedly reads like a cross-section of British society, consisting of royals, former prime ministers, rock stars, cultural figures, and political personalities. Their names appear in the files for various reasons, such as being mentioned in media discussions, attending the same events, or showing up in scheduling notes, correspondence, or press reports. Regarding political figures, Tony Blair is mentioned 22 times, David Cameron 19, Gordon Brown 16, and Peter Mandelson 10.
After the US House Oversight Committee spearheaded the Epstein investigation, Mountbatten-Windsor was allegedly on his toes after it was confirmed that the now-infamous photo of him and Virginia Giuffre was real. In his 2019 Newsnight interview, he claimed that he had no recollection of ever meeting her and questioned the authenticity of the picture. The recent, albeit expected, outcome has reportedly prompted the US Congress to formally request that he appear before them. Moreover, in a leaked 2011 email, he wrote to Epstein and Maxwell, "I can't take any more of this," as he pleaded with them to publicly clarify that the allegations against him bore no merit.
Andrew Lownie, royal author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, has been blunt about the disgraced royal's position, as per the Mirror. He called Mountbatten Windsor a 'flight risk' and warned that he could "avoid any possible legal charges by going to the Middle East like King Juan Carlos." As scrutiny around his links to Epstein intensifies, the former Prince is said to be weighing an escape that takes him far from the UK and even farther from the reach of investigators, possibly to the Middle East.
