Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is under mounting pressure to co-operate with US officials investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, with sources saying it is a ‘matter of personal conscience’ as well as his public duty.
While Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the latest revelations from the US Department of Justice file dump, royal sources told the Daily Mail last night that ‘providing testimony is now a matter for Andrew and his conscience’.
Insiders also said it was always a principle that those who have relevant information should ‘participate in any lawful inquiry on any subject’.
The development will add fuel to the fire of calls for the former prince to break his self-imposed silence and publicly co-operate with officials investigating Epstein’s crimes – and the network of contacts that aided and abetted him.
However, despite being seen driving and riding around Windsor – where he was, astonishingly, photographed smiling and waving to onlookers without an apparent care in the world yesterday – there continued to be a deafening silence from the former royal.
It is understood King Charles was not aware of the level of detail in the latest files, which reveal the depths of the relationship between his brother and the paedophile.
Buckingham Palace appears to be learning about the new material at the same time as the public.
But the ensuing headlines will be troubling given Andrew was a working member of the Royal Family and held a prestigious role as a UK trade ambassador during his association with Epstein.
The King and Queen also pointedly stated last October, as it was announced Andrew was being stripped of his titles, that their ‘thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse’.
The new calls echo demands at the weekend by Sir Keir Starmer that Andrew should testify before the US Congress over his dealings with Epstein.
It came as new emails revealed a mysterious Russian woman set up on a dinner date with Andrew by Epstein thanked the paedophile for ‘a really special adventure’. Epstein emailed the former prince to say a woman could meet him in London in August 2010.
‘She 26, russian, clevere [sic] beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email,’ he wrote.
The Daily Mail can reveal the woman is a model born in the far north of Russia who moved to North America, where she married and became a mother.
She had asked Epstein: ‘If I go to London [on my way back from Russia] sometime between August 27 and Sept 5 do you think somebody will be there and what are the best dates?’
Epstein told her to go slightly earlier, and she confirmed she had booked flights for a trip between August 20 and August 25.
On August 22, she confirmed she was in Britain, explaining to Epstein that she lost her phone in the Bahamas but ‘I will get a UK phone, will write you the number’.
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Epstein responded: ‘But are you having fun?’
On August 25, she wrote to Epstein: ‘Thank you again for everything, my trip has been a really special adventure!’
It is not clear whether the woman and Andrew actually met.
At the weekend a second woman threatened legal action against Andrew after claiming Epstein flew her to Britain for sex.
The unnamed woman says she was taken to Buckingham Palace for tea after the encounter, which allegedly took place in 2010 when she was in her 20s.
It is the first time an Epstein accuser has alleged a sexual encounter at a royal residence.
Andrew has been contacted for comment.
