Prince Andrew has been pictured for the first time today after new emails showed that he stayed in contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for longer than he had originally claimed.
The Duke of York was dressed casually as he was snapped driving his Range Rover around Windsor.
In another photograph, he was seen riding his horse on the estate, as the person next to him smiled.
New emails handed to a court in London revealed that Andrew kept in touch with Epstein in February 2011 after claiming he ceased all contact in December 2010.
In one email, Andrew wrote: “Keep in close contact and we’ll play some more soon.”
The new emails also showed that Epstein remained in contact with Lord Mandelson – the new UK ambassador to Washington – until at least August 2012.
Andrew and Epstein reportedly agreed to cut contact after they were pictured strolling through Central Park in New York City in December 2010, two years after Epstein was convicted for procuring a child for prostitution and for soliciting a prostitute.
The new emails, according to Bloomberg, had been disclosed in a filing by the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA]. This was then defending an appeal by Jes Staley – the former boss of Barclays Bank – to the Upper Tribunal.
After misleading statements about Epstein and their last contact, Jes was later fined £ 1.8 million and banned from holding a senior management position in financial services in 2023.
The FCA document referred to Andrew as a “member of the British Royal Family”. Email exchanges then showed that Epstein had invited Andrew out with Jes Staley in June 2010. In the email exchange, Epstein wrote: “He told me he ran into you tonight.”
After Andrew claimed that he was “having dinner with Jes tomorrow evening” in one email, Epstein wrote – on February 27 2011 – that Jes “will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time.” To which, Andrew replied, “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon.”
Buckingham Palace and Mr Mandelson have been approached for comment.
