Police Probe Andrew's Epstein Visits to Balmoral
The Facts
- Police Scotland said Friday it is conducting inquiries into the time former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, spent at the king's Balmoral estate with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
- The force said it had received information and that active inquiries remain at a "very early stage" and are evidence-led. The Daily Express reported that the inquiries relate to claims that women were trafficked to the Aberdeenshire estate.
- Photographs released during Maxwell's 2021 U.S. sex-trafficking trial showed her and Epstein outside a log cabin at Balmoral in 1999. Images later released by the U.S. Justice Department appeared to show Andrew and Epstein on a shooting trip there.
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The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Whatever his flaws, a man who has not been charged has been photographed, mocked and convicted online of offenses far beyond the allegation police are examining. Misconduct in public office is hard to prove against senior figures, and a new inquiry before the last one resolves adds to the feeling of a pursuit. Due process exists to protect the unpopular, and it applies to former princes too.
Establishment-critical narrative
Each new inquiry shows how long a royal was shielded, and Balmoral, the family’s own private estate, brings the question of who knew what to the door of the Crown itself. An institution that answers to no one looked away until police and document releases forced the matter. A monarchy that cannot account for its own household has lost the argument for standing above scrutiny.
