Emails from August 2001 show correspondence between Ghislaine Maxwell and a person alias “A” believed to be connected to the British royal family, according to the latest extensive document released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the ongoing disclosure of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I’m here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family,” the person said in an email to Maxwell on August 16, 2001.
Balmoral is the summer home of the Scottish royal family and is a private estate in Aberdeenshire where the family traditionally spends August.
Emails signed by “A” from an email address “[email protected]” appearing as “The Invisible Man” continued to be exchanged, according to the documents.
The person in the email was not explicitly identified as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. But Mountbatten-Windsor grew up in Britain in 1999 and was introduced to Epstein by Epstein’s then-girlfriend Maxwell, who was a socialite.
“How’s LA?” “A” wrote in an email. “Have you found any new inappropriate friends? I’ll be free from August 25th to September 2nd, so please let me know when you’re coming because I’d like to go somewhere hot and sunny with fun people before I have to put my nose firmly in place for autumn.”
Maxwell replied, “I’m afraid I have to tell you the truth. I could only find the right friends.”
She added: “We will inform you about some church meetings on that date.”
Mr. “A” wrote in response that he was “distraught.”
He added that his servant, who had been with him since he was two years old, died in his sleep.
“My entire life is in turmoil because not only did my office get laid off, but I quit as an RN and now I have no one to take care of me. He was such an amazing person and almost part of the family,” the person wrote.
“If you have any good ideas on how to get my mind back on track, I’d appreciate your advice. I’ll see you soon… I hope you’ll come,” the email concluded.
Public records show Mr Mountbatten-Windsor retired from the Royal Navy (possibly listed as RN in emails) in July 2001.
Mountbatten and Windsor’s Epstein relationship
In October, Charles III stripped Mountbatten-Windsor of his royal title and ordered him to vacate Royal Lodge, his residence on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The decision comes after years of controversy over the relationship between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein. He stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following a damning BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged with any crime related to Epstein and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
In 2022, then-Prince Andrew paid a settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who was accused of sexually abusing her when she was 17 years old. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed, but reports estimate it to be between £7.5 million and £12 million.
Mountbatten-Windsor denied wrongdoing, but in a joint statement announcing the settlement acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking.
Ms Mountbatten-Windsor said she did not remember ever meeting Mr Giuffre, although there was a photo of him standing next to Mr Maxwell with his arm around her waist.
Giuffre died by suicide at the age of 41 on his farm in Western Australia in April. Her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, was published in October.
What we know about the latest release
These emails were released as part of the fourth batch of documents in the Justice Department’s Epstein file.
Since Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice has released more than 300,000 pages of investigative records against Epstein under the Epstein File Transparency Act, which requires the release of all unclassified records.
The files include photos, court records, FBI and Justice Department documents, emails, news clippings and videos related to Epstein’s criminal activities and his 2019 suicide in federal custody while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The documents released included images of famous people including former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, film director Woody Allen, and left-wing political scientist Noam Chomsky.
The images released do not depict any sexual activity, and their inclusion in the files does not indicate knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Maxwell, a popular British socialite and longtime associate of Epstein, was found guilty of sex trafficking in December 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
She was convicted of five federal charges, including sex trafficking of minors, for recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, died of an apparent suicide in a New York prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The latest document release includes anonymous tips, court records, flight logs and other materials submitted to law enforcement about Mountbatten-Windsor.
One of the US Justice Department’s investigative documents said it had “finally” found “evidence that Prince Andrew performed sexual acts on one of Epstein’s victims.”
House Democrats have asked Mountbatten-Windsor to question Epstein, but he has not responded to the subpoena, saying he “remains in hiding.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress as a “general principle”.
U.S. prosecutors also wanted Mountbatten-Windsor to be questioned under sensitive circumstances regarding sex trafficking allegations involving Epstein.
Neither the British royal family nor representatives from Mountbatten and Windsor commented on the email, which was published on Tuesday.
