Former prince Andrew being driven away from Aylsham police station after his arrest in February. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersFormer prince Andrew being driven away from Aylsham police station after his arrest in February. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersPolice Scotland says it has received information on Jeffrey Epstein visit to Balmoral with AndrewForce says ‘inquiries ongoing’ into visit to royal estate in Scotland, when Ghislaine Maxwell was also present
Detectives are investigating time spent by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the king’s private estate in Scotland.
Police Scotland said it had received “information” and an investigation was at a “very early stage” into the time the disgraced royal spent with the late child sex offender at Balmoral.
The Daily Express has reported the inquiries relate to claims that women were trafficked to the estate. Pictures previously released by the US Department of Justice appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein on a shooting trip at Balmoral.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received information and active inquiries are ongoing, but these are at a very early stage. All inquiries are evidence-led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those inquiries. We would never confirm details of ongoing inquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Several forces, including Thames Valley police, the Metropolitan police and Surrey police, also had live investigations linked to the release of the Epstein files, the National Police Chiefs’ Council confirmed.
An NPCC spokesperson said: “Identifying any further potential offending, suspects, victims or witnesses is a complex process and will take time, but UK policing remains committed to carrying out a meticulous assessment of the material released by the US Department of Justice.”
There was not currently a national investigation, the NPCC said.
The former Duke of York was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on 19 February this year, his 66th birthday, following allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy. He was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation. He denies wrongdoing, with the police investigation ongoing.
An email released in a tranche of the Epstein files last year signed “A” asked disgraced British socialite Maxwell for “inappropriate friends”. In one of four emails sent by someone using the name the Invisible Man to Maxwell in August 2001, the sender told the now convicted sex trafficker their “valet” had recently died and they had “left the RN”.
Mountbatten-Windsor left the Royal Navy the month before the email was sent. Another email from the same individual, dated 16 August 2001, said they were at “Balmoral summer camp for the royal family” before asking Maxwell: “Have you found me some inappropriate friends?”
In March 2002, an email from Maxwell to the Invisible Man said they had passed on a message to an unnamed individual, with that message beginning with: “I just gave Andrew your telephone no.”
The message from Maxwell to the unidentified person also said “Andrew” would be “very happy” if he did some “two legged sight seeing”.
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