Disturbing Epstein emails shed light on infamous Prince Andrew photo
The newly released files discuss the 2001 photo of the former Duke of York posing alongside a 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre
On Wednesday (12 November), Democrats on the House Oversight Committee shared several email exchanges dated between 2011 and 2019 between Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and author Michael Wolff.
Epstein died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, meanwhile, is currently in a low-security Texas prison for her role in a sex-trafficking scheme with Epstein.
Just hours after the Democrats released documents which saw Trump being mentioned in the Epstein emails, House Republicans then released thousands more documents to counter what they said was a Democratic effort to 'cherry-pick' documents. They also claimed it had been an attempt to 'create a fake narrative to slander President Trump'.
The emails also shed light on a rather infamous photo of, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and Virginia Giuffre.
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Andrew was stripped of his titles last week (6 November),
The photo, which emerged in 2011, shows the former Duke of York with his arm around then-17-year-old Giuffre, apparently taken in Maxwell's London home.
Andrew famously denied in a 2019 Newsnight interview that he had 'no recollection' of the photo ever being taken.
"I have absolutely no memory of that photograph ever being taken... you can't prove whether or not that photograph is faked or not..." he said, before adding: "That's me, but whether that's my hand or whether that's the position I... but I don't... I have simply no recollection of the photograph ever being taken."
Giuffre, who took her own life in April of this year, claimed in her posthumous autobiography that, as a teenager, she had sex with Andrew on three occasions after being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell.
Andrew has always strongly denied such claims.
As we say, the latest files contained one email which appeared to confirm that the photograph of Andrew with his arm around a teenage Giuffre was real.
Although the 'girl's' name is redacted, Epstein appears to be referring to Giuffre in the email exchange. At the time, she had spoken to The Mail on Sunday, which published the photo and her account of meeting Andrew while travelling with Epstein. After severing ties with Epstein, she moved to Australia and changed her surname from Roberts to Giuffre.
An email from Epstein to the journalist read: "The girl has fled the country with an outstanding arrest warrant. The da (sic) after she accused others, said in writing that she has no credibility, she was never 15 years old working for me, her story made it seem like she first worked for Trump at that age and was met by Ghislaine Maxwell.
"Total horsesh*t, the Daily Mail paid her money, they admitted it, with the statement that it took money to coax out the truth.
"Yes she was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew, as many of my employees have.
"I have never misled you, this girl is a total liar, they (sic) authorities should check her Australian immigration form... I will ask if they will cooperate - Prince people."
In a separate email exchange in March 2011, about an inquiry from a news reporter, Epstein corresponds with someone listed as 'The Duke', which is thought to be Andrew.
Epstein told him: "I'm not sure how to respond, the only person she didn't have sex with was Elvis."
His email prompted the following response: "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.
"I can't take any more of this my end."
It is not clear if Epstein was writing about Giuffre.
In a separate email to a publicist in July 2011, Epstein writes: "The girl who accused Prince Andrew can also easily be proven to be a liar.
"I think Buckingham Palace would love it. You should task someone to investigate the girl Virginia Roberts, that has caused the Queen's son all this agro (sic).
"I promise you she is a fraud. You and I will be able to go to ascot (sic) for the rest of our lives."
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, US News, UK News, Royal Family, News, Crime
Rhiannon Ingle