Newly released documents related to ex-prince Andrew's appointment as U.K. trade envoy show his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, pushed heavily for her son to be given the role in another show of a softness she’s said to have held for her son despite allegations of misconduct tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew on June 1, 2013 in Epsom, England.
UK Press via Getty Images
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, served as a trade envoy from 2001 to 2011 after his mother told Britain’s trade body she was "very keen" for him to take on a "prominent role in the promotion of national interests," the agency wrote in a newly released letter.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant told lawmakers Mountbatten-Windsor was given the role with no formal due diligence or vetting process.
Lawmakers in Britain approved a motion in February demanding documents about Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment be released with Ed Davey, the member of parliament who led the demand, saying he, in part, wanted to ensure U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson played no role in the appointment after Mandelson was fired over his own Epstein ties.
The documents show no link between Mandelson and the appointment.
Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal title by his brother last year, was arrested in February "on suspicion of misconduct in public office" after he allegedly sent Epstein emails about his official trips to Singapore, Vietnam, Shenzhen and Hong Kong and shared a confidential briefing about investment in reconstruction in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province in 2010.
He was held for 11 hours of questioning after his arrest but was then released and no charges have been filed against him.
Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed with Epstein and his right-hand-woman Ghislaine Maxwell multiple times through the early 2000s. The former prince is said to have stayed at Epstein’s homes and the pair traveled in the same social circle in a friendship that continued after Epstein’s 2008 conviction of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Mountbatten-Windsor resigned his position as trade envoy in 2011, largely over his Epstein associations. In 2019, Mountbatten-Windsor gave a now-infamous interview to the BBC in which he said he had "no recollection" of ever meeting Epstein's primary accuser, Virginia Giuffre, despite a photo of them together; showed no remorse for Epstein's victims; and said he did not regret the friendship because knowing Epstein had "some seriously beneficial outcomes" for his business networking. Days after the interview, Andrew announced he was stepping back from public royal duties.
Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in 2000.
Getty Images
Mountbatten-Windsor was accused of rape and sexual assault by Giuffre and settled a civil lawsuit brought against him without admitting wrongdoing. In her posthumous memoir, Giuffre said he was "entitled - as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright" and was paid $15,000 by Epstein for having sex with the then-prince. The book says they had sex at least three times, which Mountbatten-Windsor has said “never happened.” In February, documents released by the Justice Department included emails in which Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information with Epstein while serving as a trade envoy in the U.K. The document release also included photos of Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling on all fours above an unidentified woman.
Mountbatten-Windsor was released shortly after his arrest in February and has scarcely been seen in public since. He was living at Royal Lodge, a sprawling 30-room mansion, but moved out in February for the house to undergo renovations and it’s unclear if he’ll move back in. He is currently staying at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate, which is privately owned by the King.
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