A newly published electronic message allegedly indicates that the Duke of York told Jeffrey Epstein "we stand together in this" after the publication of a photograph depicting the British royal with his arm around a teenage Virginia Giuffre in 2011.
This disclosure appears to conflict with the Duke's previous claims to the BBC, where he stated he had ended communication with the convicted pedophile financier by that time.
Email Correspondence Highlights
According to the released correspondence, Prince Andrew reportedly contacted Epstein on February 28, 2011, the following day the famous image of the Prince, Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell was made public.
In his message, he reportedly told Epstein to "stay in close contact" and voiced a desire to "meet up again soon."
"I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me! It appears we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Apart from that keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!"
The email was allegedly signed off with: "A, HRH The Duke of York, KG."
Inconsistency with Earlier Claims
In a 2019 program, Andrew told journalist Emily Maitlis that he had broken off his friendship with Epstein in late 2010, following being photographed together in New York.
He later claimed that in December 2010 he "had to show leadership" and "visited him" to tell him "it's over."
However, the newly published correspondence implies that contact persisted beyond that claimed cut-off point.
Context on Jeffrey Epstein
- Jeffrey Epstein was discovered deceased in his jail cell at a federal jail in August 2019 while facing trial on sex trafficking. The demise was declared a suicide.
- He had previously, in 2008, pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor, for which he was imprisoned.
Court Documents and Other Disclosures
In January, a portion of the message from the Prince appeared in court documents concerning a legal dispute involving the ex-Barclays CEO Jes Staley.
Staley was challenging a decision by the Financial Conduct Authority that he had given a misleading account about the extent of his connection with Epstein.
Separately, it also emerged this past weekend that ex-PM Tony Blair met with Epstein in Number 10 while he was in office, after a suggestion by Peter Mandelson.
He had described Epstein as "safe" and a "friend" in an email prior to the meeting.
The royal household and the Duke of York’s office have been contacted for a statement.
