The Epstein Files: How new Andrew revelations are affecting the Royal Family

Read time: 5 mins

In brief…

• The News Agents says new allegations about Andrew’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein mean that the former Prince’s involvement with the convicted sex offender means the case continues “haunting” the Royal Family.
• Lewis Goodall says the Royals are only addressing the scandal now because they have “no other choice” and blames Queen Elizabeth II for allowing the relationship between the two men to carry on.
• Amid the ongoing details emerging from The Epstein Files, Emily Maitlis says the UK can at least be commended for taking action – while America appears to be doing very little about allegations against the rich and powerful.

What’s the story?

There’s a certain sense of deja vu to the latest details of alleged wrongdoing from the Epstein Files - with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor suspected of sharing sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while representing the UK as trade envoy from 2010 to 2011.

These claims exactly mirror those against former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, who passed on confidential details to Epstein while he was in Gordon Brown’s government.

Dates and times from both men’s communications with the convicted paedophile show they were passing on information almost as soon as they received it themselves.

In other emails, Andrew congratulates Epstein after his release from prison for soliciting a minor, and says the pair will celebrate his “new life ahead”.

“It's exactly the same allegation – which was that Epstein sent these incredibly powerful men off into all sorts of spheres to bring back information that he could presumably monetise,” says Emily Maitlis.

These emails reveal the extent of the “proximity” between Andrew and the convicted child trafficker, she adds.

“It's actually remarkable just how similar it is to the Mandelson emails, just how many echoes there are – not least this sort of stream of consciousness which appears to exist between both men towards Epstein,” says Lewis Goodall.

There have been calls for the government to release all documents related to Andrew’s time as the UK’s envoy, and Lewis says they should be “published immediately”.

“This new investigation is haunting the Royal Family,” he adds.

This was felt firsthand by King Charles, who was heckled today (9 February) during a visit to Clitheroe in Lancashire.

How Epstein revelations are affecting King Charles

Emily says she has “a lot of sympathy” for the King, and says he has made attempts to be “proactive” where Andrew has been concerned.

Lewis is less forgiving.

“The one way in which I have some sympathy for him is that there's a cruel irony to it all,” he says.

“He waited for so many years to become King, and his reign is being completely defined by this.”

He says the situation with Andrew is entirely “out of his control” – and blames Queen Elizabeth II for this.

“The King is trying to deal with it now, because he's got no choice,” Lewis says.

“It's taboo to talk about the late Queen's role in all of this, but I think she's got a lot to answer for, and there should be a reappraisal of the latter years of her reign.”

How Epstein revelations are affecting Prince William

Details of Andrew’s communications with Epstein also come on the same day Prince William and Princess Catherine are visiting Saudi Arabia, on government business, and have issued their first public statement on the details from the Epstein Files.

They say they are “deeply concerned” by the latest revelations, and their thoughts are with the victims of Epstein and his associates.

Lewis says this is damage control to try to make sure their overseas visit is not overshadowed by the activities of his uncle.

“William, obviously, has an eye on his reign to come, and not wanting it to be defined by this,” he says, but describes their message as “just the latest opaque statement that the Royal Family” on the matter.

“I’m sure that they are mindful of the victims, and I'm sure they're horrified by many of the things that have happened, but the Royal Family, for more than a decade, their approach has been this same pattern,” Lewis adds.

“They contain, they delay, and they only act when the political pressure is unbearable.”

The Royal Family’s knowledge of Andrew’s association with Epstein dates back more than two decades, and offered nothing but silence and denials in the years following the sex traffickers' time in prison for some of his crimes.

“The Royals knew about Epstein's conviction in 2008, and they knew Andrew kept seeing him afterwards, Andrew remained a working Royal,” Lewis says.

“He remained in favour. He remained the Queen's favourite son.

“Virginia Giuffre named him in court papers in 2015, to which the palace then issued firm denials. There has never been a formal investigation, no independent inquiry, and no transparent process to establish what the palace knew, and they never answer questions about it.”

He calls for the same level of transparency being offered by the government, which is making details of its handling of Mandelson’s appointment public – but says there is a “gulf” between the scrutiny currently faced by Keir Starmer’s government, and the Royals.

“I hope that when and if the day comes that William becomes King, and if this scandal is still going on, he'll do more than issue bromides and platitudes about victims,” Lewis says.

“It would mean more to those people if he actually affected some institutional change and asked some hard questions about the institution.”

Is there anything the UK can be commended for in all this?

Despite calls for Keir Starmer to stand down over Peter Mandelson’s appointment in 2025, long after his friendship with Epstein was known, The News Agents say that at least the UK government is doing something with the details to have emerged from the Epstein Files.

America seems more focused on Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl right now to pay much attention to the rich and powerful men alleged to have been involved with Epstein’s illegal activities.

“Look at how forensic we are being as a country, compared to the United States – which doesn't seem to be interested,” says Emily.

“America doesn't seem to be investigating, asking, searching or pulling people in front of Congress, it’s not doing that. I think we are, and I and I do think that's to our credit.”

Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.