Here is a timeline of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein's friendship as pictures of the former prince appear in the recently released Epstein files.
On Friday, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped three million files in the latest batch of the Epstein files, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
In and amongst the pictures are three images of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appearing to be 'kneeling over a woman' on the ground. He is seen wearing a white polo and jeans while he touches the unknown woman's stomach. Also in the files is an email exchange between Epstein and a person named 'A'.
While the contents of the files do not suggest any wrongdoing, the relationship between the former Duke of York and the disgraced paedophile financier has been under the spotlight for several years, though he has continuously denied the allegations against him.
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1990s – 2001: Relationship with Epstein
Andrew first met Epstein in the late 90s through 'his girlfriend' and saw him only 'infrequently', according to the former prince, which was 'probably no more than only once or twice a year'.
ITV News reports that in 2000, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attended a party at Windsor Castle to celebrate the birthdays of numerous members of the royal family.
Virginia Giuffre claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was 17 in 2001. These alleged encounters reportedly took place in London, New York and on Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Andrew has consistently denied these claims.
2008 – 2011: Public criticism
Epstein was jailed in 2008 for prostituting minors and released in 2010. Later that year, Andrew was photographed with Epstein in New York.
In his BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew said he'd 'ceased contact' with Epstein in 2006 after he became aware 'that he was under investigation and that was later in 2006 and I wasn’t in touch with him again until 2010'.
Last year, released emails showed that Epstein had contacted Andrew to ask whether he could meet up with an American banker. Andrew then replied that 'it would be good to catch up in person'.
In 2011, Giuffre’s photograph with Andrew at Maxwell’s London home was provided to US authorities - an image Andrew and Maxwell have claimed is fake. However, an email from Epstein suggests it is real.
2015 – 2019: Newsnight interview
From 2015 onward, Andrew was repeatedly named in US court documents linked to Epstein, who hanged himself in his jail cell in 2019.
After Epstein's death, the ex-prince released a statement in August 2015, where he said: "At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction."
A palace statement added that he was 'appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes'.
Andrew’s BBC Newsnight interview a few months later proved disastrous because of his answers, such as that he could not have met Giuffre because he was at Pizza Express with his daughter.
Days later, Andrew stepped back from public duties with Queen Elizabeth II’s approval.
2020 – 2022: Legal settlement
US prosecutors accused Andrew of failing to cooperate with investigations, a claim his legal team disputed. Then in 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against him in New York.
A judge ruled the case could proceed, prompting Queen Elizabeth II in early 2022 to strip Andrew of his honorary military roles and his HRH status.
In February 2022, Andrew reached a reported £12 million settlement with Giuffre, agreeing to make a substantial donation to her charity and expressing regret over his association with Epstein, while still denying wrongdoing.
2025 – 2026: Stripped of royal titles
Giuffre claimed in her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, that Andrew attempted to launch a smear campaign against her.
Andrew was accused of trying to get the Met Police to dig up information on Giuffre in 2011, with The Mail on Sunday reporting that he received an email from a royal aide which read: "It would also seem she has a criminal record in the States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with XXX, the on-duty ppo [personal protection officer]."
Giuffre's loved ones also claimed that the email 'exposes the lengths to which those implicated try to discredit and defame survivors', while stating that the late 41-year-old did not have a criminal record.
Following the release of her posthumous memoir, Buckingham Palace announced the removal of Andrew’s remaining titles and honours and formally moved to reclaim Royal Lodge, as they stated that he 'continues to deny the allegations against him'.
LADbible Group has previously contacted Andrew's representatives for comment.
Topics: Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, US News, Politics
Anish Vij