Starmer Demands Royal Testimony as Epstein Files Expose Palace Invitation
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly called for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to provide testimony before the United States Congress concerning his connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The demand comes alongside the release of a significant cache of documents by the US Department of Justice, which includes potentially damaging new revelations about the former senior royal's associations.
New Documents Reveal Buckingham Palace Invitation
Among the most striking details contained within the newly publicised files is an indication that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor extended an invitation to Epstein to visit Buckingham Palace in September 2010. This invitation occurred a full two years after Epstein's initial conviction for soliciting underage girls for sexual purposes. The documents reportedly include emails that substantiate this claim, adding a new layer of scrutiny to the relationship between the disgraced financier and the British royal.
Starmer, speaking from Japan where he is meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, emphasised the primacy of Epstein's victims in this matter. When questioned by journalists about whether Andrew should apologise to victims and provide evidence, the Prime Minister stated, "I have always approached this question with the victims of Epstein in mind. Epstein's victims have to be the first priority." He further asserted that "anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that."
Mountbatten-Windsor's Continued Association Under Scrutiny
The released files paint a picture of a sustained relationship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein that continued well beyond the financier's 2008 conviction. The documents suggest that in August 2010, Epstein proposed arranging a dinner for Andrew with a "clever, beautiful and trustworthy" 26-year-old Russian woman, to which Andrew reportedly responded that he would be "delighted" to meet her.
Contrary to Andrew's previous claims that a 2010 trip to New York was intended to sever ties with Epstein in person, the new evidence indicates the visit included a star-studded dinner in his honour at Epstein's New York residence. The guest list, arranged by Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal, reportedly included figures such as film director Woody Allen and former Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos. Andrew and Epstein were also photographed walking together in Central Park during this period.
The files further reveal that Andrew continued to send intimate family photographs featuring his adult daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to Epstein. Correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's accomplice now serving a 20-year sentence, includes a 2005 email from Andrew stating, "I am in your hands (literally) until Saturday/Sunday," and signed off with "Love you A xxx."
Political Fallout and Wider Implications
The pressure for Andrew to testify is not new. Last year, Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, a member of the House Oversight Committee, requested Andrew sit for a deposition as part of an investigation into the US government's handling of the Epstein case. Subramanyam has accused Andrew of "hiding from us" and predicted he would continue to avoid meaningful investigations.
The documents also implicate other prominent British figures. They reveal that Epstein sent £10,000 to the husband of Labour peer Peter Mandelson in 2009, allegedly to fund an osteopathy course, and that Mandelson requested to stay at one of Epstein's properties while Epstein was serving his sentence. Mandelson has since stated he was "wrong" to maintain the association but was "never culpable or complicit" in Epstein's crimes. He was dismissed as UK Ambassador to the US last September when supportive messages to Epstein came to light.
Additionally, the files show billionaire Richard Branson met with Epstein in 2013 on his private Necker Island, offering advice on reputation restoration. In an email, Branson suggested Epstein could cite Bill Gates as a reference and framed the conviction as sleeping with a "17½-year-old woman." A Virgin Group spokesperson stated the Bransons had limited contact over a decade ago, ceased all association after due diligence uncovered allegations, and support justice for victims.
Legal and Royal Repercussions
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles and military affiliations in 2022, previously settled a civil case with Virginia Giuffre for a reported £12 million. Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and forced to have sex with Andrew. He made the payment without admitting liability and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
His association with Epstein, and that of his former wife Sarah Ferguson—who received £15,000 from Epstein and described him as a "brother" she wished for—has led to their effective ostracisation from official royal circles. The latest document release ensures this scandal, intertwining high society, politics, and royalty, remains a subject of intense public and legal scrutiny, with Starmer's intervention raising the political stakes significantly.
