Pressure is mounting for Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor to sit down with police, and the former duke can no longer hide behind royal protocol. Former prime minister Gordon Brown, applying his forensic habit of digging into detail, has concluded that the evidence now demands a police interview of the ex‑trade envoy over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. The call for accountability is echoing through Westminster, with senior MPs and former officials insisting the monarchy must be treated like any other institution.
Brown’s analysis, based on flight‑record data and newly released documents, points to a pattern of undisclosed contact between Mountbatten‑Windsor and Epstein during the prince’s tenure as UK trade envoy to China and Hong Kong from 2001 to 2011. The former chancellor says the “Stansted revelations” – that Epstein’s private jets used UK airports to move women between aircraft – alone justify a formal police interview.
Parliamentary leaders demand answers
During a session on Thursday, cabinet secretary Chris Ward was pressed on the matter by Sarah Owen, chair of the Commons women and equalities committee. Owen asked whether it was time for the former prince to “answer both to the police and parliament.” She warned that failure to act would erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
Former Victims’ Commissioner Vera Baird, speaking to a national newspaper, said she had raised the issue with police before the COVID‑19 pandemic but was told the matter was being investigated in the United States. “Clearly, there is a limit to what the royal family can do,” Baird said, adding that “the police need to investigate.”
New evidence of communications and documents
Thames Valley police are reviewing whether Mountbatten‑Windsor shared confidential government documents with Epstein while serving as trade envoy. Emails uncovered by investigators indicate the prince forwarded a 2010 briefing on mineral deposits in Afghanistan – including gold, uranium and oil prospects – to Epstein shortly after receiving it from his special assistant.
Another email trail indicates that on 7 October 2010 the prince sent Epstein details of his upcoming official trips to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and later forwarded the post‑trip reports back to Epstein within minutes of receipt. These exchanges raise questions about the breach of official duties and possible facilitation of Epstein’s network.
Allegations of sexual encounters and disputed photographs
A separate claim, unrelated to the Virginia Giuffre case, alleges that a woman in her twenties was flown to the UK by Epstein for a sexual encounter with the prince at his former Royal Lodge residence in 2010. The allegation has been reported to Thames Valley police alongside the document‑sharing concerns.
Photographic evidence continues to fuel the controversy. A March 2001 image shows Mountbatten‑Windsor’s hand around the waist of a 17‑year‑old Virginia Giuffre, a picture the prince has repeatedly described as “faked” and “taken by someone else.” Yet, a July 2011 email from Epstein’s publicist confirms the woman was on Epstein’s plane and that a photograph with the prince was taken. Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2015 draft statement also references the same photograph.
Additional images released by US authorities depict the former prince on all fours, barefoot and smiling over an unidentified woman, and a December 2010 snapshot of him strolling with Epstein in New York’s Central Park. The prince has consistently denied any ongoing relationship after December 2010, stating he told Epstein “that was it.” Yet a thank‑you email dated 22 December 2010 reads, “It was great to spend time with my US family. Looking forward to joining you all again soon.”
Royal response and the road ahead
King Charles has publicly expressed “profound concern” about the allegations and says the palace stands ready to support any police investigation, should Thames Valley police approach them. The Prince and Princess of Wales have also issued statements of “deep concern.”
Anti‑monarchy group Republic has referred the case to Thames Valley police, with its chief executive drawing parallels between the current accusations and those faced by former business secretary Peter Mandelson, who recently faced a parliamentary request for evidence in the ongoing Epstein probe Peter Mandelson evidence request.
As the disclosures continue to emerge, the question remains whether Mountbatten‑Windsor will finally cooperate with investigators or continue to evade scrutiny from his Sandringham residence. The next step will be a decision by Thames Valley police on whether to open a formal investigation and, if so, what charges, if any, may be pursued.
We will keep you updated as the story develops. Share your thoughts in the comments and follow us for the latest updates.
