Emails previously exchanged between Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein have been disclosed, just as the royal was officially stripped of his “prince” title.
On Thursday, October 30, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would lose all of his remaining royal titles and vacate his Windsor residence. The move follows renewed controversy surrounding his friendship with Epstein, as new claims surfaced in accuser Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations made against him.
Although the government does not plan to introduce legislation that would remove him from the line of succession, the 65-year-old remains eighth in line to the British throne.
The palace’s announcement came alongside the release of newly unsealed court documents containing emails between Andrew and Epstein. The correspondence, shared with Sky News, shows that the former Duke of York emailed the convicted sex offender in April 2010 — just months after Epstein’s release from prison for procuring minors for prostitution.
In one exchange, Epstein had suggested that Andrew meet American banker James “Jes” Staley in London later that month. Andrew reportedly replied:
“I would love to, but sadly heading to the stan’s [Central Asia] via Kiev next Fri/Sat, so will miss him. But I will make sure I meet him soon on another trip.
Also, I have no immediate plans to drop by New York, but I think I should at some stage soon. I’ll look and see if I can make a couple of days before the summer.
It would be good to catch up in person.”
The court documents note that Epstein forwarded Andrew’s message to Staley, who was later banned from holding senior financial roles by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2023 for misrepresenting the nature of his relationship with Epstein.
The two men — Andrew and Epstein — were later photographed together in New York’s Central Park in December 2010. Andrew has since claimed that the encounter was arranged to formally end their friendship.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew has been served formal notice to surrender his lease on the Royal Lodge, the Grade II–listed mansion he has shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 66, for over two decades.
“Formal notice has today been served to surrender the lease. The move will take place as soon as practicable,” the statement read.
Andrew is expected to relocate to a property on the private Sandringham estate, according to Town & Country.
Representatives for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor have been contacted for comment.
