Washington, DC – Newly unsealed emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s files have thrust former Prince Andrew back into the spotlight, with a journalist close to the late sex offender claiming the royal had “consensual sex” with one of Epstein’s employees. The revelation, part of documents released by US lawmakers this week, adds fuel to calls for Andrew to testify as the Epstein scandal continues to reverberate across the Atlantic. (54 words)
Unearthed Emails: A 2015 Warning to Epstein
The emails, dating back to 2015 and released by the US House Oversight Committee as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, capture a private exchange between Epstein and Landon Thomas Jr., a former New York Times reporter who maintained a close relationship with the financier. Thomas urged Epstein to publicly distance himself from Andrew—then still the Duke of York—to quash lingering allegations of sexual misconduct.
In one message, Thomas wrote: “Until you are able to come forward and address that, the story lives on. I mean in the end he had consensual sex with [redacted]. And [redacted] worked for you. The rest is atmospherics.” He emphasized that Andrew’s association was “keeping the story alive,” contrasting it with Epstein’s ties to figures like Bill Clinton, who has faced no accusations of wrongdoing.
Thomas later clarified to media outlets that Epstein never personally confided this detail to him. “He never told me that she had sex with Andrew. When I say that he had sex with her, consensual sex, that’s just what I had read in the press,” he told The Telegraph and MailOnline. The redacted name in the email has sparked speculation, but it’s unclear if it refers to Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s most prominent accuser against Andrew, who died by suicide in April 2025 at age 41.
This tranche of files, passed overwhelmingly by the House (427-1), includes emails, logs, and legal notes spanning decades, with Andrew’s name appearing 173 times—more than any other British figure. The release follows President Trump’s signing of the transparency bill, which mandates publication within 30 days, intensifying scrutiny on Epstein’s elite network.
The Broader Epstein-Andrew Connection: A Timeline of Ties
Andrew’s friendship with Epstein dates to the late 1990s, introduced through Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted accomplice. Court documents and witness testimonies have long detailed the royal’s frequent visits to Epstein’s properties, including his Palm Beach mansion, New York townhouse, and Little St. James island—dubbed “Pedophile Island.”
Key documented interactions include:
- 1999-2001: Andrew hosted Epstein and Maxwell at Balmoral and Windsor Castle, including a 2006 masked ball at Royal Lodge for daughter Beatrice’s 18th birthday, attended by Harvey Weinstein.
- 2001: The infamous photo of Andrew with Giuffre and Maxwell in London, which Epstein later confirmed as genuine in 2011 emails: “Yes she had her photo taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have.”
- 2010: Andrew flew on Epstein’s jet to his New York home post-conviction, a trip he later called a “mistake” in his disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview.
- 2015: Amid Giuffre’s allegations, Epstein’s team scrambled to manage fallout, as seen in these emails.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. A 2009 deposition from Epstein’s Palm Beach estate manager, Juan Alessi, noted Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson as “friends” who visited often, with Andrew reportedly spending “weeks” at the Florida property. Andrew has consistently denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, stating in 2019 he had “no recollection” of meeting Giuffre.
Giuffre’s Allegations: From Lawsuit to Posthumous Memoir
At the heart of the scandal is Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her three times in 2001 when she was 17—once in London, once in New York, and once in an “orgy” on Epstein’s island with “eight other young girls.” She claimed Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her for sex with high-profile men, including Andrew, whom she said she was pressured to service under threat of harm.
Giuffre filed a defamation suit against Maxwell in 2015, leading to the emails’ unsealing. In 2022, she sued Andrew directly in New York, settling out of court for an estimated £12 million without him admitting liability—though he expressed sympathy for her as a trafficking victim. Her posthumous memoir, excerpts published in September 2025, reiterated these claims, reigniting global outrage and prompting King Charles III’s intervention.
Andrew’s 2019 defense—that he couldn’t sweat due to a war injury and was at a PizzaExpress with daughter Beatrice on the alleged London date—drew widespread mockery and led to his public duties suspension. He maintains total innocence, with no criminal charges filed.
Royal Reckoning: Title Stripping and Eviction
The emails’ release coincides with Andrew’s dramatic fall from grace. In October 2025, King Charles stripped him of his “prince” title—reverting him to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—and evicted him from Royal Lodge, his 30-room Windsor home, amid “renewed scrutiny.” He had already lost his Duke of York peerage and military honors earlier that month.
Buckingham Palace cited the Epstein association as untenable, with sources telling CNN the move was to “protect the monarchy’s integrity.” Andrew, 65, now resides privately, but pressure mounts for him to testify before US Congress, as suggested by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who noted a “reckoning” mirroring Britain’s.
Critics, including former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger, have called for full transparency: “We should pursue this until we have answers. Daylight is the best disinfectant.” UK MPs have debated extending the title revocation to others, though the government deems it a “family matter.”
Public and Political Backlash: Calls for Accountability
The story has dominated headlines, with US President Trump directing the DOJ and FBI to probe Epstein’s ties—including to Clinton—while sidestepping his own past associations. In Britain, education secretary Bridget Phillipson echoed palace sentiments, prioritizing victims.
Social media buzz, though limited on X, amplifies demands for justice, with hashtags like #EpsteinFiles and #AndrewAccountability trending. Survivor advocates, via groups like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, hail the releases but warn of incomplete accountability—only 15% of Epstein’s network faces scrutiny, per a 2025 Interpol estimate.
For full documents, see the House Oversight Committee release. Track developments on X.
These emails, while not new accusations, underscore the Epstein saga’s enduring shadow over the Windsors, blending elite impunity with victim trauma. As Andrew faces potential testimony, the focus sharpens on truth-seeking—ensuring no corner of power evades light. For Giuffre and others, it’s a step toward closure in a web long woven in secrecy. (49 words)