The newly released cache of photographs from the so-called “Epstein files” has again put the long-documented association between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein under the spotlight.
The
release by the United States Department of Justice this month offers visual evidence that further shows how Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell moved through some of the most exclusive spaces of British royal life.
The photographs do not introduce new accusations.
Instead, they deepen the factual understanding of the scale of the relationship between the former Duke of York and Epstein, even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.
Taken together, the images justify why the issue has remained so corrosive for the British monarchy and why UK’s King Charles III ultimately moved to formally sever Andrew’s remaining ties to royal life.
How Sandringham is back under the lens
One of the most striking photographs in the newly released files was taken inside the saloon room at Sandringham, the UK monarch’s private country retreat in Norfolk.
The image shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lying across the laps of five women, all elegantly dressed, while Ghislaine Maxwell stands nearby observing the scene. The women’s identities have been obscured in the released version of the photograph.
Andrew is seen wearing a black suit and bow tie, smiling, with his face positioned close to the bare legs of one of the women. Maxwell, positioned opposite him, is also smiling.
The saloon room at Sandringham is traditionally used by the UK royal family for gatherings on Christmas Eve, including afternoon tea, and again on Christmas Day when family members assemble to watch the monarch’s pre-recorded Christmas broadcast.
According to information accompanying the images, the photograph was taken during a weekend in December 2000 that coincided with Maxwell’s 39th birthday.
Andrew would later refer to a stay at Sandringham during his 2019 Newsnight interview as a “straightforward shooting weekend.”
The same estate would later reappear in Andrew’s personal circumstances. In October earlier this year, he was instructed to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor following his exposure over his links to Epstein and Virginia Giuffre. He is expected to relocate to a private residence on the Sandringham estate.
During the release, Andrew was photographed
riding alone in the rain on the Sandringham grounds.
How Andrew facilitated access to Ascot, Balmoral and more
Beyond Sandringham, the Epstein files include multiple photographs taken at other high-profile royal locations, reinforcing how frequently Epstein and Maxwell were present in elite royal settings.
One image captures Andrew, Epstein, and Maxwell together in the Royal Box at Ascot during Ladies’ Day in June 2000. Both Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother were in attendance at the event.
Andrew has previously described Epstein in this context as his “plus one”, maintaining that Epstein was not an official guest of the Royal family.
However, the photograph places Epstein and Maxwell in one of the most exclusive enclosures of the British social calendar.
Additional images show Andrew with Epstein and Maxwell during a shooting trip on the heathlands of Balmoral. The Balmoral estate, long associated with royal privacy, had already featured in earlier disclosures.
During Maxwell’s trial in the United States, a photograph of Epstein and Maxwell inside a Balmoral cabin was shown in court.
The December 2025 release also includes a photograph of Ghislaine Maxwell standing outside 10 Downing Street.
One widely circulated photograph shows Maxwell and actor Kevin Spacey seated on the thrones inside Buckingham Palace during a visit reportedly organised by Andrew.
That image, believed to have been taken in 2002, resurfaced in earlier years and has continued to draw attention because of the symbolic nature of the setting.
How Sarah Ferguson also corresponded with Epstein
The Epstein files also include photographs involving Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s former spouse.
The images show Ferguson sitting on a sofa with a woman and standing with another woman on a street. In both cases, the women’s identities have been redacted.
In September, further context emerged regarding Ferguson’s interactions with Epstein. Emails obtained by the Mail on Sunday revealed that in April 2011, she had written to Epstein apologising “humbly” after publicly distancing herself from him the previous month.
In that correspondence, she referred to Epstein as her “dear friend”.
According to the emails, Ferguson told Epstein that she had never described him as a paedophile, following his angry response to comments she had made during an interview.
How Andrew’s defence has collapsed
For years, Andrew has insisted that he ended his association with Epstein in 2010, following Epstein’s conviction in Florida two years earlier. That claim formed a central pillar of his defence during the 2019 Newsnight interview.
However, the gradual release of documents undermined that assertion.
The most damaging evidence came in the form of an email written by Andrew to Epstein in 2011, in which he stated that “We are in this together.” The email directly contradicted his claim that all contact had ceased.
As these documents emerged, pressure mounted on the monarchy. Earlier this year, concerns over Andrew’s continued association with Epstein had already threatened to destabilise the institution, prompting decisive action by the King.
In November, King Charles issued an unprecedented statement
formally stripping his brother of the Duke of York title.
In that statement, the King said that his “utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse”.
The decision effectively rendered Andrew a palace outcast.
The renewed attention to Andrew’s relationship with Epstein has also revived focus on allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers.
In a posthumous memoir published in October, Giuffre reiterated claims that she
had been made to have sex with Andrew on three occasions.
Andrew has consistently denied these allegations and has denied any wrongdoing. Giuffre died by suicide in April.
In the United States, Andrew has faced calls from Democratic members of Congress to give evidence before a committee investigating Epstein’s activities. As of the end of the deadline set by lawmakers last month, he had not responded to the request.
What next
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a federal jail in Manhattan in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to child sex offences.
Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges related to child sex trafficking and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The December release of photographs has not altered the legal outcomes of either case.
Instead, it has only sharpened public understanding of how Epstein and Maxwell moved within elite circles, and how that access also included UK royal privilege.
For the British monarchy, the images represent another chapter in a scandal that has already exacted a significant institutional cost.
For Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, now without titles or official role, the photographs serve as a permanent visual record that continues to challenge his past narrative.
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With inputs from agencies
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