A trove of emails from over a decade ago, made public by a congressional committee, reveals the strenuous attempts of a former senior member of the British royal family to publicly separate himself from the criminal activities of financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The correspondence, dating to 2011, shows the individual, referred to internally by an honorific title, reacting with alarm to impending media reports that were expected to link him to the scandal. In one exchange, he urgently pressed Epstein and Maxwell’s representatives to issue statements explicitly denying any involvement or knowledge of the allegations, which included serious claims of sexual misconduct.
“Please make sure that every statement or legal letter states clearly that I am NOT involved and that I knew and know NOTHING about any of these allegations,” he wrote in one message, adding, “I can’t take any more of this my end.”
Epstein, in his replies, dismissed the media reports as “complete and utter fantasy” and offered a draft statement for the press that denied various claims, including the presence of other high-profile figures on his private island.
The release of these communications comes years after the individual faced a civil lawsuit in the United States from a woman who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and assaulted by the royal. He has consistently denied all allegations.
The ongoing fallout from his association with the convicted sex offender ultimately led to a dramatic severance from official royal life. In 2022, he was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages by the monarch. Later that year, following the publication of a memoir by his accuser, a palace announcement confirmed he had been formally divested of his princely titles and styles and would henceforth use a civilian surname.
Furthermore, he was served notice to vacate his longstanding residence at a royal estate, with officials stating he would relocate to private accommodation. The palace indicated these actions were necessary despite his continued denial of the accusations.
