Harry and Meghan Reportedly Named in Epstein Files ― All Because of an Alleged Prank Call
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have found themselves in a situation they would definitely not want to be a part of. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been reportedly named in the newly released Epstein files despite having no contact with the disgraced financier themselves. A fresh batch of documents, consisting of several thousand images and emails, was recently dropped by the US Department of Justice. While his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has again been pulled back into the spotlight, an alleged prank call that happened with the Duke in 2020 has also made its way into the documents.
While Harry and Markle left the Palace life for more privacy, they soon found themselves involved in another controversy. In the newly released disclosures, their names were allegedly spotted in an email discussion that talked about a Yahoo lifestyle article published in 2020, titled “Prince Harry Comments on Prince Andrew’s Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in Prank Phone Call.” As per the emails, the article generated an estimated $4 million in publicity value and drew in around 231 million views. This reach alone crossed the average 250,000 to 500,000 views achieved by top media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
The article in question took shape after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had left the UK in 2020. But before their move to Montecito, the couple briefly stayed in Canada. During this time, as reported by OK!, the prince was prank-called by Russian comedians Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov. Posing as climate activist Greta Thunberg and her father, Svante Thunberg, the two spoke candidly with Harry. Assuming the call to be genuine, Harry spoke to the pranksters on two separate occasions, one around New Year’s Eve and another later in January. After being released publicly, the call drew widespread attention, especially as the Prince reportedly addressed his disgraced uncle’s close ties with Epstein, albeit briefly.
In the conversation, the Duke allegedly mentioned that he and Markle have “very little to say” about the matter, stressing that the two are “completely separate from the majority of my family.” Harry made it clear that the couple’s decisions are no longer tied to the wider royal family. Along with this, he also reportedly added that whatever Mountbatten-Windsor “has done or hasn’t done” had nothing to do with them. Candidly talking about life behind Palace walls, Harry mentioned that it's not as easy as it looks. “I can assure you, marrying a Prince or Princess is not all it’s made out to be,” he quipped. Talking about their decision to leave the Firm, he stated, “It's a tricky one, but we will start a new life.”
Harry also admitted that while the decision to leave royal life behind wasn't easy, he does feel that it was the right decision for his family and to protect his son, Prince Archie. “I think there’s a hell of a lot of people around the world that can identify and respect us for putting our family first,” he told the pranksters. While they are not directly involved in the Epstein scandal, even the small mention of their name keeps media headlines abuzz.