Former Prince Andrew was “very, very helpful” for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, biographer Andrew Lownie has claimed.
On the latest episode of the Daily Beast’sThe Royalist Podcast, hostTom Sykesspoke with Lownie about how Jeffrey Epstein used Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to get closer to the royal family. While King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles last year over his ties to the sexual predator, Lownie believes that the Epstein scandal, as it relates to the royal family, is far from over.
“What did Epstein see in Andrew?” Sykes asked Lownie.
“...Epstein had targeted several royal families. The scandals not just... the British royal family, but, he saw him as someone who gave Epstein credibility, gave him access to various people, not least perhaps other members of the royal family,” Lownie said. “There’s stories that perhaps other members of the royal family may have been involved with Epstein.”
He said he spoke with one woman who alleged that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, had dinner with Epstein in 1994, making him believe that the Epstein scandal may evolve beyond just Andrew.
“...I think for Epstein, Andrew was very, very helpful,” Lownie said. “You know, the kudos of being able to have pictures of him sitting on the throne in Buckingham Palace or going up to Sandringham... It was a useful sort of negotiating tool with other people. You know, ‘I can arrange a shooting weekend up in Sandringham.’ And so he was... always leveraging everything.”
Mountbatten-Windsorwas arrested back in February—on his birthday—on suspicion of misconduct while in office. He was released later that day, while the investigation continues, and has denied any wrongdoing.
Buckingham Palace and lawyers for Andrew did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment. Andrew no longer has official press representation, but a media advisor thought to still be in contact with him was approached for comment. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in connection with Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell.
When asked by Sykes if he believed that Andrew would ultimately evade justice for his alleged crimes, Lownie said he believed he would.
“We’re already being prepared for no charges to be laid,” he said. “The last thing the royal family want is all their dirty linen aired in public.”
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