Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is not just a former prince. The other title he held for a decade was that of UK trade envoy.
He lost both titles due to his association with the convicted sex offender and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While he’s been referred to in many colourful ways over the decades, Randy Andy and Airmiles Andy, Thames Valley Police described him plainly – “a man in his sixties from Norfolk” had been arrested.
His arrest came just 20 days after the Department of Justice released three million documents about Epstein. They were dense, disparate, and often difficult to piece together.
Buried among them were references to glamorous birthday parties at palaces. An invitation to “celebrate 50 years of Papa/Andrew” was sent to Epstein. He did not reply, so the former Duke’s office chased his RSVP.
Epstein declined to attend with just two words: “not able”.
Correspondence was sometimes professional and often personal. The files made headlines daily and have now led police to investigate allegations of misconduct in public office against the King’s brother.
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We do not know what specifically led to Andrew’s arrest on his 66th birthday. The former prince has always denied wrongdoing.
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But the documents give us a glimpse into fragments of conversations that were occurring while Andrew was the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment.
On Christmas Eve in 2010, Andrew sent the US financier a document the former Duke himself described as a “confidential brief”.
It contained “investment opportunities” in gold, uranium and oil extraction. The former prince wrote, “I am going to offer this elsewhere in my network (including Abu Dhabi)”.
The email was sent over a fortnight after the pair’s infamous walk in the park in New York, where Andrew later claimed on television that he had ended his relationship with Epstein.
In his Newsnight interview, Andrew said: “I never had any contact with him from that day forward.”
But the emails show communications between the pair continued.
As trade envoy, Andrew travelled the globe extensively and had access to senior government and business contacts around the world
On 24 July 2010, an email from an associate of Epstein suggested they could “discreetly” capitalise on Andrew’s “aura and access” to jointly set up a private wealth management business in London targeting high net worth Chinese individuals. The former Duke was not on that email.
On 21 July 2011, the day Andrew stepped down as UK trade envoy. Epstein said in an email about the news, “I’m sure this is good for him, he will now be free”.
Epstein sent a news article about Andrew stepping down from the role to Ghislaine Maxwell, who asked “why?”
The financier responded, “I think he wants to make money”.
The files that have been reported on for weeks now will just be the start of the police investigation as they gather and explore the allegation of misconduct in public office.
Andrew has been released under investigation.
He has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
