Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly engaged in a consensual intimate encounter with Virginia Giuffre, as revealed in the Epstein Files’ emails. The correspondence indicates that the disgraced financier did not dispute a journalist’s assertion that the former Duke of York had sexual relations with Ms. Giuffre. This contradicted her claim of being coerced into the encounter, a claim Andrew vehemently denied before her tragic death by suicide.
Disclosed emails show a reporter advising Epstein on his connection with the royal, mentioning that the encounter was consensual. These revelations emerged from a batch of 3.5 million emails released by the Department of Justice under Donald Trump’s administration. Despite the accusations, Andrew consistently maintained his innocence.
The private email exchange between Epstein and a New York Times journalist in January 2015 seemed to provide written evidence of Andrew’s involvement with Ms. Giuffre. In the email, she was referred to as VR, incorporating her maiden name Roberts, by Landon Thomas Jr, who recommended Epstein distance himself from Andrew due to the alleged incident.
Mr. Thomas Jr expressed in the email the importance of Epstein severing ties with Andrew, stating, “I think the big issue is separating yourself from Andrew. I mean in the end he had consensual sex with VR.” Ms. Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Epstein, under the pretense of receiving massage therapy training at the age of 16 in 2000.
She claimed to have encountered Andrew in the UK in 2001 at the age of 17 and asserted that she was coerced into a sexual encounter with him by Maxwell. Despite a photograph showing Andrew, Maxwell, and Ms. Giuffre together, Andrew denied any recollection of meeting her. He settled a lawsuit with Ms. Giuffre for $12 million (£8.8 million) in March 2022 without admitting liability or disclosing the settlement details.
The email exchange further highlighted that Epstein’s continued association with Andrew was fueling the ongoing media attention. Mr. Thomas Jr emphasized, “I mean I can see why a statement might help in some way — but its Andrew (not Clinton and the rest) that is keeping the story alive.”
During the exchange, Epstein did not refute Andrew’s involvement with Ms. Giuffre but instead lamented the impact on his reputation. He acknowledged the damage to his reputation and dismissed claims of trafficking or involvement with underage individuals as absurd.
