Prince Andrew has been named in court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein, following a judge’s order to release secret files.
The documents include allegations from Johanna Sjoberg and references by Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew denies all accusations.
Judge Orders Release of Secret Case Files
US Judge Loretta Preska ruled on December 18 that documents believed to involve more than 150 individuals connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein should be made public. These individuals include associates, friends, and victims.
Evidence from Johanna Sjoberg
Among the released documents are 40 pieces of evidence from Johanna Sjoberg. Sjoberg has claimed that Prince Andrew touched her breast while they were sitting on a couch in Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001.
In her 2015 testimony, Sjoberg recounted an incident where Ghislaine Maxwell showed her a puppet of the prince and suggested taking a photo. She described sitting on Prince Andrew‘s lap and noted that the prince touched her inappropriately.
Prince Andrew’s Denial
Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations against him. Buckingham Palace has previously stated that all accusations made against the Duke of York are “categorically untrue”.
Maxwell’s Testimony
In her deposition, Ghislaine Maxwell mentioned that Prince Andrew visited Epstein’s home in the US Virgin Islands once, asserting that no girls were present during that visit.
Unsealed Exhibits and Maxwell’s Emails
One of the exhibits unsealed includes a 2015 email from Maxwell referencing Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton. In the email, Maxwell expressed her distress over the media attention and questioned her relationships with Clinton and Andrew.
Virginia Giuffre’s Defamation Case
The legal files stem from a 2015 US defamation case by Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell. Giuffre, who appeared in a notorious photograph with Prince Andrew and Maxwell, accused Andrew of sexual abuse.
Fight for Secrecy Lifted
Although the case was settled in 2017, Maxwell’s attorneys had argued for the names to remain private. However, this objection was lifted in 2022, a year after Maxwell was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The media successfully argued that the documents should be made public.
Identification of Individuals
Judge Preska ordered the release of documents identifying individuals whose names had previously been redacted. These included alleged victims, individuals not accused of wrongdoing, and absent third parties. Identification in these documents does not necessarily implicate these individuals in Epstein’s crimes.
Privacy vs. Public Interest
Parties had until midnight on January 1 to object to the ruling. Only 10 individuals succeeded in arguing that their right to privacy as victims outweighed the public’s right to know their names.
Prince Andrew’s Fallout
Prince Andrew stepped down from public life after the uproar over his friendship with Epstein. He paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met. Andrew no longer uses his HRH title after Giuffre accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, a claim he has denied.
Epstein’s Death and Maxwell’s Imprisonment
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020, despite numerous bail attempts. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June last year. Maxwell’s appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year, with her lawyers arguing that the victims had « faded, distorted, and motivated memories. »
Summary of Allegations Against Prince Andrew by Virginia Giuffre
Virginia Giuffre alleged she had sex with Prince Andrew three times between 1999 and 2002 in London, New York, and on Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island. Giuffre claimed Epstein paid her $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew. This allegation was made during a January 2016 deposition in Florida as part of a lawsuit against Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former attorney. Giuffre did not pay taxes on the money received.
Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, asserting he has no recollection of meeting Giuffre. A notorious photograph shows Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist, which he claims to have no memory of.
Giuffre’s first encounter with Prince Andrew allegedly occurred at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home when she was 17. Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operations, denies these claims.
Legal and Public Reactions
Giuffre’s deposition was part of the documents released from a defamation lawsuit she filed against Maxwell in 2015, settled in 2017. These documents were unsealed following a December 2023 court order but did not reveal new identities or explosive information as anticipated.
Prince Andrew stepped back from public duties in 2019 following a controversial BBC interview discussing his association with Epstein. In January 2022, he was stripped of his military titles and patronages by Queen Elizabeth after Giuffre filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit, which he settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in February 2022.
Current Status and Future Implications
Despite renewed calls for an investigation after the recent release of court documents, British police have no plans to probe the Duke of York. Prince Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne but no longer uses the style « His Royal Highness » in any official capacity.
Prince Andrew recently made a public appearance at the royal family’s Christmas service in Sandringham, where he had an awkward encounter with well-wishers captured on camera. His association with Epstein continues to impact his public and private life significantly.
